Sonic Heroes: The Atom Bomb
by The Sensational SpiderDom321
Summary: With the help of a mysterious being called Infinite, Dr. Eggman has finally transformed the world into his own image. The world is made of metal, robots run amuck, and people have lost hope in society. Now waking up from a six-month coma, Sonic the Hedgehog returns to help Knuckles the Echidna and his Resistance take back their world. Who will win and who will fall?
1. Prologue

**_A/N:_** _Welcome to another story under the Sonic the Hedgehog category, specifically under Sonic Forces (Wow, SpiderDom, you posted three Sonic Forces stories already and they have either been cancelled or deleted due to computer glitches. Also, the game is two years old, why are you still obsessing over it?) Plus, this came out of nowhere. I have just started a Sonic story called "Awakened" and I'm not even finished with it. But hey, this is something that has been on my mind for a long time now, and I wanted to share it with the rest of the world. Special shoutout to my friends, Infinite's Ruby (She helped me with dialogue and story elements) while TheGameNguyener inspired me to make this happen with his own story, "Revengeful Resistance." Ruby has a story of her own called "The Illusionary Resistance." You all should check them out sometime._

 _Like Awakened, this story has a random update schedule._

 _And like Awakened. This story has a "Suggested Music" section. The rules are as followed. If you see a number **(1)** that's your cue to play the music. If you see a number with an "s" next to it **(1s)** that's your cue to stop the music._

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Theme of Sand Ruins - Sonic Riders OST_**

 ** _(2) Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse OST_**

 _With the long and unnecessary introduction out of the way, let the show begin. This is Sonic Heroes: The Atom Bomb_

* * *

 _Disclaimer: Sonic the Hedgehog and all other related properties are owned by SEGA. I do not own the story of Sonic Forces. I only own the changes I made to the plot and original characters in this story. All music belongs to their respected owners._

* * *

 **Prologue**

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Fastest Creature in the universe couldn't help but smile, as he made a rough dash with his Extreme Gear; a hoverboard that has been used on many of his adventures, through the desert. Or well… the race track in this case. The blue blur was on the move once again, as he and his good friends, Miles "Tails" Prower and Knuckles the Echidna were in the last race of the third annual World Grand Prix; the second lap of the final race. The three of them were racing through the Sand Ruins, a place where Sonic and a Mobian bird named Jet the Hawk raced each other for the first Grand Prix, only the latter won because he and his team cheated by placing a bomb on Sonic's gear. _**(1)**_

Team Sonic, as the team was called, dashed through the arid sands. Jumping from different sized ramps. Doing tricks off them. And landing on the ground, getting a nice boost of speed that kept them ahead of the competition. During their journey through the second lap of the race, they were determined to win. No matter what.

" _Phew!_ So far, so good," Sonic said, looking over his shoulder. Seeing Knuckles and Tails behind him put a smile on his face. "How're you holding back there, guys?"

"I'm feeling great, Sonic!" Knuckles replied, kicking the ground. He gained a boost of speed and caught up to Sonic. "Looks like we're finally going to win this one!"

"Looks to be that way, Knuckles," Tails smiled. He caught up to his friends and rode on Sonic's left. "If we keep this up, we'll make it to the finish line in no time!"

Suddenly, a female, obnoxious toned voice came from behind the two-tailed kit. "Don't be too sure of that, Shorty."

Sonic and Knuckles turned around and groaned at the sight of who the voice was. It was Wave the Swallow; Tails' rival when it came to Extreme Gear. She was close behind them with her two colleagues by her side, Jet the Hawk and Storm the Albatross. All three of them were better known as The Babylon Rogues: A mysterious band of treasure-seeking thieves.

Like Team Sonic, they were in it to win it. As they raced up along their rivals, they sneered at them before cackling.

"It's about time we finally settle this feud!" Storm slapped his fists together, striking anger into Knuckles' eyes.

"For real this time!" the echidna snarled back. "No Eggman, no freaky Gravity Stones, no Babylon Garden! Just a good old-fashioned race!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Mutt," Wave chuckled.

"What did she just call me!?"

"Easy there, Knucklehead," Sonic motioned to his friend. "You'll have time to rumble later. Right now, I gotta teach a certain _someone_ about who the _real_ fastest thing alive is!"

Jet the Hawk: Leader of Team Babylon, rolled his eyes at Sonic's snark. He shook it off by laughing in an annoying manner. "You may be the fastest when it comes to running, but when riding with Extreme Gear, you're just a joke!"

"Oh, yeah, sure, Jet. I'm a joke on Extreme Gear. It's not like I used this thing to make a tornado that made you fly in the air or anything!"

"Oh, gosh, don't repeat the line!"

"Even without wings, I can still fly!"

Team Sonic made a mad dash ahead of Team Babylon, ticking off the green-feathered leader. He shook his fist and snarled. Jet was not ready to lose nor was did he want to be mocked by Sonic.

"Orders, boss?" Storm asked.

Jet cracked his fingers and adjusted his goggles. "Leave em' in the dust!"

The Babylon Rogues obeyed their master and drifted across the sand, leaving nothing but dust in the air. It blew away in the soft wind.

A six riders rode through the desert until they came across one of the race track's many action features; pillars that would randomly rise out of the ground. Speaking of which, the ground started shaking below the six racers. They all looked down at the sand and noticed that all the sandy grains moving around. Suddenly, a giant pillar shot out of the ground like a rocket ship. Sonic and Jet dodged the pillar with ease while Tails and Wave flew over it with their flying abilities. Storm attempted to smack Knuckles upside the head, hoping to knock him off his board, but the echidna ducked under the albatross' beef-sized hand. He then grabbed the albatross and slammed his face right into the pillar, causing him to fall off.

"So long, meathead!" Knuckles waved goodbye to his rival.

Storm landed on his rear end. Shook his head to relieve the pain he got from the crash. Cleaned the sand he got from his ears. And got back up on his feet. Grabbing his Extreme Gear, he ran a few feet down the Sand Ruins before jumping back on his hoverboard.

He returned to the competition.

Ahead of him, Sonic and Jet clashed and bumped into each other, trying to throw each other off course. The former boosted ahead of the latter, but before he can make it further, Wave cut him off and yelled in his ear with a loud bird call; a signature attack she would use against her racers.

" _Augh!_ " Sonic yelled, rubbing his ears.

"I got her, Sonic!" Tails gave his best friend a thumbs up, as he raced up to Wave with his plan of attacked. He took out a taser that was in the shape of a plug and shocked Wave with a painful bolt of electricity.

Zap. Zap. Zap. Wave screamed at the top of her lungs, as Sonic and Knuckles drove past her and Jet. Tails released her from her electric capture and caught up with his friends. "See ya later!" he called.

"Idiot!" Jet growled at Wave. Storm finally caught up to them. "Figure out a way to slow them down! I'm not losing this race!"

"Got it, boss!" Storm saluted.

Team Sonic and Team Babylon got to a ramp that sat at the edge of a cliff. The team in first place; Sonic's team, squatted down, and jumped off the ramp. Team Babylon followed close behind.

The blue hedgehog and the red echidna performed a few front flips and backflips while their two-tailed amigo jumped up on his feet and landed on his hands, doing a handstand on his gear. Jet jumped off his gear and performed a triple front flip, he grabbed his board again and placed his feet back on top of it. Wave and Storm did basic spinning tricks prior to landing on the ground. The six riders were back to riding across the sands.

But they weren't in the middle of the desert anymore, they were riding on the outskirts of the temple area. In fact, they were dead in front of the temple's entrance. The ancient piece of architecture was buried in ruins and sand flowed just about everywhere.

There was so much sand flowing around, it looked like a waterfall.

Sonic and Knuckles went towards the waterfall whereas Tails decided to take a shortcut; a ramp that lead to a couple of Dash Rings.

Team Babylon grouped with each other to discuss a plan to win the final race.

"Storm, you and I will handle Sonic and Knuckles!" Jet ordered his teammates. "Wave, take care of the fox!"

Wave kindly nodded to her boss, as she turned to the right and chased down the kitsune. The hawk and the albatross tailed after Sonic and Knuckles. Speaking of the two, they were having trouble traversing through the sand flowing down the hills. No matter how hard the heroes tried, the force of the sand would push them down, almost to the point where they would fall off their Extreme Gear.

"There has to be another way to get through this sand flow!" Knuckles snarled. He turned over his shoulder and saw Jet and Storm clouding over him. The former jumped on a grind rail that was at the left corner of the sand fall while Storm chased after both him and Sonic. "Hey, Sonic, we got company!"

"I'm aware!" Sonic replied, looking up to the top part of the ruins he was riding through. He saw Jet land on the top platform; he was in first place. And Sonic was in second.

"You got any bright ideas?" Knuckles asked.

Before Sonic could reply, Jet kicked a piece of rubble off the ruins, causing a large rock to fall straight towards Sonic.

"Look out!" Knuckles shouted, he dashed up to Sonic and punched the debris with his bare fists, breaking it into pieces. He grabbed one of the pieces and chucked it at Storm, it hit him in the head.

"Thanks, Knux," Sonic smiled.

"Not a problem!" Knuckles replied. He looked up and saw Jet do the same trick again. "Here comes another one!"

"Let it come!"

"What?"

"Trust me! I know what I'm doing!"

Jet kicked another piece of debris off the ruins and watched it fall to the ground, it landed right in front of Sonic and Knuckles. The two friends squatted down on their legs until they came onto the rock, leaping off of it and doing an aerial trick.

Sonic and Knuckles landed on the top platform and gained a boost of speed from the landing; they were close behind Jet.

"What!?" Jet's eyes widened. He was angry. " _Hmph!_ It doesn't matter, you're not going to win!"

"Don't be so sure about that, Jet!" Sonic smirked. _**(1s)**_

(~)

On the other side of the track, Tails was flying through the Dash Rings, gaining a high acceleration. Just down below him was a cliff that lead to a bottomless pit… or at least, people who have been here have said that it was bottomless. Tails didn't want to find out if that was true, so he kept using his propeller-like-tails to zoom across the skies.

But little did he know; Wave the Swallow was hunting for him.

An oversized wrench was welded to her hand.

The two-tailed fox turned around to see if his teammates or the Babylon Rogues were behind him, but as soon as he turned around. The wrench greeted him with a swat.

"Whoa!" Tails ducked underneath the tool. "Wave, are you crazy!?"

"Crazy! You shocked me with an electric plug!"

"Just be happy I didn't swing it around like a wrecking ball!"

Wave swung her tool at the fox's face, making him lean backwards in order to dodge it. They flew through another Dash Ring. Wave raised her weapon on the air and slammed it vertically on top of Tails. But before it can knock the fox's brains out, Tails caught the edge of the tool with his hands, struggling to keep it from stabbing him in the eye.

"Let go of my wrench, Shorty!" Wave scoffed. She pulled on her tool.

"Why do you keep calling me 'Shorty?' " Tails moaned. "You're only an inch taller than me!"

"You think I don't know that!?" Wave sneered. She and Tails tossed and turned in the air, fighting over possession of the wrench. "Just because you're an inch shorter doesn't make you smarter than me, you two-tailed freak!"

"Are you smart enough to dodge this?" Tails reached behind him and took out the same electric plug he used earlier. Pushing the end of the wire into Wave's chest, he sent a bolt of electricity running down her body. As she screamed in agony, Tails kicked her off of him and continued racing through the Dash Rings.

As soon as he landed back on solid ground, he cheered for himself and waved his fist in the air. "Haha! I did it!" he chanted. "Take that, Wave-huh!? Oh, no!"

Tails didn't continue any further because he saw Wave on her Extreme Gear, she was over the cliff. Why was that a bad thing?

His answer came to him quickly as soon as he saw Wave trip and fall off her Extreme Gear, which he guessed happened when he kicked her and tased her with his electric plug. Being the gentleman that he is, he rushed over to the cliff and dive bombed towards the bottomless pit below; Wave and her Extreme Gear were falling towards the darkness.

Just before she can spend the rest of her life falling, Tails grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her onto his Extreme Gear. But the swallow was able to catch her gear before it fell into the pit.

The two gearheads, as they were jokingly called by Sonic, landed back on the surface.

Tails and Wave jumped off the former's gear and took heavy pants. The former landed on his feet while the latter landed on her rear end. They couldn't believe that just happened. The kitsune turned his head to the female swallow, gazing into her ocean blue eyes.

"Are you okay?" Tails walked up and asked, holding out his hand.

Wave the Swallow looked at the fox's white glove and felt insulted that he would so something as to help his opponent up on her feet, especially since he's the one who almost caused her death. She turned away from him and closed her eyes, not wanting to see his face. However, after some thought, she turned back around and gazed into his azure blue eyes. For as long as she could remember, she hated Tails and Tails hated her. The two of them were enemies, nothing else. But she was aware that Tails would offer to help her at times when she needed it. She began to recall the time she, the rest of Team Babylon, and Team Sonic were in the last race of their second World Grand Prix, when suddenly, something went wrong with Jet's gear.

She remembered that as she tried to figure out what happened, Tails offered to help her take a look at the malfunction, he didn't need to do that, but it was nice of him to do so… that was she thought at the time.

Tails was always kind to her, despite accepting that they were enemies.

Wave finally grabbed his hand, Tails pulled her up on her feet. Wave brushed the sand off her white and purple pants.

" _Hmph!_ If you were smart, you would have let me fall to my doom!" Wave scoffed. She folded her arms and turned away from Tails.

"Really?" Tails rubbed his head. "That doesn't seem like an intelligent thing to do?"

Wave walked up to her gear and picked it up, walking past Tails. "It seems you and I have different definitions of intelligence." she jumped on top of her Gear and waved the fox goodbye. "See ya, Shorty!"

Wave returned to the competition, hoping to catch up to Jet and Storm.

Tails rolled his eyes and moaned, picking up his hoverboard and climbing on top of it. "I'll never understand her." he said. He dashed back to the race.

(~)

" _Go Team Sonic! Go Team Sonic! Go Team Sonic!_ "

" _Babylon Rogues! Babylon Rogues! Babylon Rogues!_ "

" _Let's go Sonic Heroes, let's go! Let's go, Sonic Heroes, let's go!_ "

Chanting filled the colosseum in Sand Ruins.

People's eyes were glued to the screen, showing the six racers in action.

Everyone was eating all sorts of sports food like hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, etc.

People were cheering for their favorite teams.

What else would you expect from a sports event like this?

People were jam-packed in the seats of Sand Ruins, nearly taking up every single inch of space that was there before the race began. Nearly every citizen of Mobius ranging from Mobian to Human was taped to the edge of their seat, cheering, chanting, and screaming at the television screen because they were wondering who will win this competition. Team Sonic or Team Babylon?

They also cheered because they saw Sonic smack Jet upside the head. That made them laugh.

"Go get em', Sonic!" said Amy Rose, who was sitting in the front row next to her best friends. Well, one of them was her best friend, Cream the Rabbit and Vector the Crocodile. Espio the Chameleon and Charmy Bee sat beside their boss.

"Come on, Knuckles!" Vector shouted. "You're my only ticket to being rich!"

Amy slapped Vector's arm. Espio rolled his eyes. Charmy laughed at Vector's punishment.

In the hub of all the chaos was the racetrack itself, food serves were walking across the racetrack, calling out the food they have in stock for the people.

"Hot dogs!" shouted a Mobian duck. "Get your hot dogs here!"

"Popcorn!" a female human cupped her hands over her mouth. "Get your popcorn! Going once! Going twice!"

"Ice Cream!" shouted a female pink dog. "Get your ice cream before it melts!... never mind, it melted." _**(2)**_

In front of the stairway, where all the rows began, there was a small sandwich shop. Inside of it was a tall, chubby, and old Mobian beaver with purple fur and a brown tail. He was in the back of the shop, cooking up some steak he needed to serve a customer. He grabbed the steak with his spatula and flipped it over, feeling the steaming hot sizzling flavor of the steak hit him in the face. The same thing went for the customer.

"Oh, boy!" the customer smiled, rubbing his hands together with joy. He spoke in a voice that made him sound like a brooding superhero. "I can't wait to have me a Clay the Rabbit special!"

Clay the Rabbit was the customer's name. He was a Mobian rabbit with a grey fur and emerald green eyes. He wore red fingerless gloves that sat themselves against the counter, his grey-colored fingers tipped against the wood. He had tan skin for his mouth area and the inside of his large, floppy ears. And last, but not least, he wore bright silver and black sneakers that were labeled " _MD."_

Clay sat there and waited patiently for his meal, praying that he gets it before all six racers cross the finish line for the final lap.

He cracked his fingers.

Stretched his legs.

Flexed his muscles.

He was excited to eat his special sandwich.

Within a matter of seconds, the beaver brought him the meal he ordered not too long ago. Finally, his Clay the Rabbit special as he called it, was brought to him… and it smelled horribly. While it looked like an appetizing sandwich to Clay himself, no one was able to deny that it smelled like manure and fertilizer. Not only did it spread a hideous odor, but the meal was larger than it should be. One might say that it was so long, it would take ten-meter sticks to measure the entire thing.

Still, this is what he wanted, and he was happy with the result.

"Mmm, mmm," Clay rubbed his hands together in excitement, licking his lips. "Looks delicious! Totally worthy of my coolness. How much will it be, good sir?"

"Six Mobiums," the beaver replied.

"Wow, more expensive than I thought," Clay said to himself. He reached into his shoes and took out exactly six Mobiums. He placed them on the counter.

"Oh, wait, I forgot," the beaver said. He reached behind him and took out a cup of chocolate pudding and a spoon. He placed them on the deck. "You ordered this too, right?"

"Yep! Chocolate Pudding! The food you need to be a God like me!"

"Okay, crazy, get out of here."

Clay grabbed his oversized sandwich and his cup of pudding, walking away from the sandwich shop. As he walked down the colosseum, he took a bite of his sandwich. Feeling all the ingredients he put in there come together in a complete harmony of flavor… or at least, that's what he was picturing. He took another bite and felt the music of the ingredients run down his mouth.

"Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!" Clay smiled, as he devoured another bite. "I feel just like a Mobian God already."

He closed his eyes and continued walking back to where he was sitting, taking two more bites of his sandwich. Unaware that the smell of it was spewing across the stadium. Everyone that was sitting in the front row, including Amy Rose and her friends, couldn't help but feel the wrath of Clay's sandwich.

"Oh, gosh!" Amy coughed, wiping her nose. "Did something die in here!?"

"I hope nothing died," Cream said in a soft voice. "But I hope someone can clean up that smell."

"Pee-u!" Charmy wiped his nose and coughed. "Smells like Vector in here!"

"Hey! I only smell like that because we forgot to pay the water bill again!" Vector retorted. He folded his arms. "Besides, the last person who hired wouldn't pay us."

Espio rolled his eyes at that comment.

As Clay took another bite of his sandwich, he began making small chewing noises as he chewed on his meal. Unaware that someone of a female voice was calling his name.

"Clay," she said. "Clay?"

"Mmm… this is so good!"

"Clay, can you hear me?"

"Little sticky in some parts, but it's supposed to be like that."

" _Clay!_ "

"Ah-what the!?"

The rabbit gasped in fear, almost tripping over and ruining his meal. He tossed his arms around until he looked over and saw who called his name. It was one of his closest friends, Skylar. She was standing next to her best friend, Emma.

Skylar was a Mobian bear that had royal blue fur, almost matching the same fur color as Sonic, and pinkish skin. She had bright orange eyes that sat underneath silver and red rimmed glasses. For attire, she wore a yellow suit underneath a black jacket with grey sleeves, leading down to her fingerless black and yellow-colored gloves, they matched the color of her shoes. To top it off, she wore a pink beanie that covered her ears.

Emma, a Mobian hedgehog, had bright yellow skin and dark yellow hair. Her quills were not as long as Sonic or Shadow's, but they were a decent size. She also had four quills unlike both Sonic and Shadow. For attire, she wore a bright green dress with small dark green details on them. Two white buttons were sewed on the dress. Green and white armbands were wrapped around her wrists and she wore blue and white shoes that matched the same style as Amy Rose. _**(2s)**_

Clay kindly bowed before the ladies, showing off his gentleman side, as he kindly offered them his sandwich. "Hello, ladies," he said in his low, dark, brooding superhero voice. "Would any of you like a taste of the Clay the Rabbit special?"

"Oh, you got food?" Emma smiled, walking up to Clay. "Thanks, Clay, that's really nice of… oh, my."

The yellow hedgehog managed to catch a whiff of the sandwich. All those ingredients blew into Emma's face. She backed away from the food and held her nose, but she didn't want to be rude to Clay and say that the smell was awful, she wanted to be nice to him, despite how narcissistic he can be. She removed her hand from her nose and took a deep breath.

"Um… Clay, that smell is… interesting." Emma kindly said.

But thankfully, her best friend, Skylar, was blunt. So, she decided to tell Clay the truth. "Interesting!?" she asked in a surprised tone. "Emma, you call _that_ interesting! That's putrid! It smells like three-day old road kill that's left out in the sun too long!"

"I don't know what putrid means," Clay said, taking another bite of his sandwich. "But if it means delicious, then you're correct."

"What's in that vile contraption!?"

Clay rubbed his red fingerless glove against his chin. "Let's see… there's roast beef, some chicken, a pizza, cheese, tomato sauce, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, honey mustard, veggie cream cheese, honey, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, bacon, banana, peanut butter, and last but not least… three sliced pickles."

"Wait. So, you're telling me this sandwich shop cleaned out their fridge just to serve this foul substance!? What sandwich shop would make such a culinary disaster!?"

"A sandwich shop that would serve the mightiest God on Mobius; Clay the Rabbit! Now, would any of you fine ladies care to be as strong as I am, or would you like to be a mere mortal?"

"If being a God means eating that? No thanks."

"I'll pass, Clay, but I appreciate your offer." Emma smiled.

"Besides, who would want to eat that?" Skylar snarled.

Just then, another voice was heard walking behind Skylar and Emma. It was a male voice, he sniffed the air. "Mmm… something smells good."

Clay, Skylar, and Emma turned to their right and saw the one person who could bare to have a smell like that fly up his nostrils; Clay's best friend, Buster the Dog. As his name implies, he was a dark brown Mobian dog with ocean blue eyes and a light brown muzzle. He wore a dark brown cowboy hat on his head and a pair of brown cowboy boots. He sniffed the air and wagged his short, bushy tail. Happy to see some food in front of him. He walked up to his best friend and took a big whiff of the sandwich.

He rubbed his green colored gloves together and licked his lips; he was ready to eat.

"Man, that smells so good, Clay!" Buster smiled. "Would you mind if I have a bite?"

"I don't know," Clay shook his head, grinning. "You think you're ready to taste the power?"

"Yes!"

"Are you ready to feel the power of the Gods?"

"Yes!"

"Do you think you're ready to taste the rich, crispy, gooey, delicious power that lies within the Clay the Rabbit special?"

" _Yes, yes, yes!_ "

"Then, stop sitting there and help me dig in!"

At that moment, Buster and Clay stopped running their mouths and started putting their taste buds to good use; they sank their teeth into the sandwich like sharks eating a large fish, beginning to devour the entire snack into their mouths.

As they chewed and chewed and chewed, flakes of lettuce, drips of vanilla ice cream, droplets of honey, and other flakes of food flew into the air. All of them scattered across the ground, as they landed against the sand. Some of the flakes got onto Skylar's bumblebee colored shoes, which grossed her out.

"Eww, gross!" she scoffed, kicking the scraps off her shoe. "They're a duo of swines!"

Just then, a random Mobian pig walked behind Skylar, she heard her comment. "You know, some of us have feelings!" she walked away from the bear and the hedgehog.

Burp! Emma and Skylar heard that classic noise come from the two boys. They jerked their heads towards them and saw that they have miraculously eaten the entire sandwich. Clay and Buster patted their stomachs and let out another burp, feeling satisfied with their meal.

"It's official, Buster Beeza," Clay offered a fist bump to his best friend. "You're a man… just like your best bud."

"Thanks, Clay," Buster fist bumped the rabbit. "That means a lot."

"Perfect," Skylar rolled her eyes. "You two terminated that awful snack! Can we go back to our seats, now?"

"We _are_ in our seats, Skylar," Clay patted her on the back. He walked to the front of the racetrack. "I told you all we're going to be sitting here for the race."

"Clay picked the best seat in the house!" Buster smiled. "Isn't it awesome!?"

"Sitting in front of the track is nice," Emma said. "But don't you think it's a little dangerous, Clay? What if one of the racers runs you over?"

"Ah, what if they're small Extreme Gear bruises?" Clay shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, those would be the ultimate souvenirs to brag to your friends about."

Skylar rolled her eyes. Emma and Buster shared a glance.

"And also," Clay continued. "When the race is over, I want the chance to race Sonic and Jet. I want to see which one of us is the fastest. I bet I can beat them in a race."

"Sonic would run you over and Jet would sneeze on you." Skylar teased.

"Eh, I'll take it like a man. Once I'm on the track, the two will be praising _me_ as the fastest thing alive."

An awkward silence was amongst the group.

"Sure, Clay," Skylar said, patting Clay's shoulder. "That'll happen when pigs fly,"

"Again!" shouted the female pig from before. "Standing right here!"

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 1**_

* * *

 _Team Sonic and Team Babylon are almost done with their annual World Grand Prix. All they need to do is finish their second lap and go into their third and final lap. Unfortunately, it may be easier said than done, as a old foe plans to spoil their fun. Who will this opponent be? We're also introduced to our four main OCs for this story; Clay the Rabbit, Emma the Hedgehog, Skylar the Bear, and Buster the Dog. How will they impact our heroes' journey. Find out as the story continues in..._

 _"Chapter 2: The Final Lap."_

* * *

 _ **POST-A/N:**_

 _Not that much happens in this chapter other than the fact that it sets up some of the characters that will be in this story, including The Babylon Rouges. Since they are in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, I decided to have them here because I feel they are very underrated characters. Similar to my other story, Awakened, other obscure Sonic characters will be in this story._

 _Sonic Riders is one of my favorite games from my childhood, so I wanted to start off this story with an Extreme Gear Race. Now, in case someone asks about why this story says "three championships" That's because there wasn't one in Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. If we're going by this, story wise, Sonic Riders is the first World Grand Prix and Sonic Free Riders is the second one. Zero Gravity's story didn't have anything to do with racing, despite being a racing title. This Fanfiction would count as the third World Grand Prix._

 _Do not attempt to make or eat the sandwich Clay ordered. There is something wrong with that man._

 _Thanks for taking the time to read! If you're interested in this story, leave a fav/follow for updates. Be sure to leave a review that can help me improve in the future. But no flames, please. That's way past uncool. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter, Chapter 2 should be coming soon. In the meantime, be sure to check out my second Sonic story, Awakened. I'm the Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you all next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	2. The Final Lap

_**A/N:** __Special Thanks to TGN, Infinite's Ruby, Alexandria Prime, SharpDragonKlaw, One Nutty Author, and karygarcia21 for leaving a follow for this story and special thanks to TGN, Alexandria Prime, Infinite's Ruby, karygarcia21, SharpDragonKlaw, Alexandria Prime, and starfiction123 for leaving reviews. Thank you all for enjoying the first chapter of the story. Now just a heads up, this chapter was supposed to be one whole chapter, but it got too long so I decided to split it into two parts. Chapter 3 is done at this point, but I decided to post this one first. For those of you wondering when Awakened will be updated again, it will be once Chapter 3 of this is posted. Chapter 5 of Awakened is done and it will be posted soon._

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Super Sonic Racing - Sonic R OST or Super Sonic Racing - Sonic Generations OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **The Final Lap**

 _ **(1)**_ "Give it up, Sonic the Hedgehog!" Jet the Hawk shouted to his blue rival. He jumped off a ramp and performed a side-trick in the air. Landing on the ground with a loud bang. "You're not going to win this race!"

"I've made it this far, haven't it, Jet?" Sonic smirked, kicking the ground to gain a boost of speed.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were almost done with their second lap in their final race. All they needed to do was beat Team Babylon by getting ahead of them. So far, they were in second place while the trio of birds remained in first. But getting ahead of them was easier said than done because they were racing against their competitors in the actual ruins of Sand Ruins; the ancient temple.

A mixture of dark and light rose from top to bottom in the interior of the ruins, the only sources of light came from a hole in the middle of the ceiling, releasing a whole bunch of white light into the room. There were also neon blue, red, and yellow streaks of light that were printed all over the floor, indicating sections of the track that specified for Speed, Power, and Flight types of racers.

The same traps as the outside were still here, however, they don't happen at random when it comes to the interior. Unless if someone activated them, the ruins' traps won't budge.

Jet, Wave, and Storm sped ahead of their competition while Team Sonic huddled together to think of a plan.

"They're too far ahead!" Knuckles snarled, clapping his fists together. "I'm not losing to that meathead, Storm!"

"We should figure out a way to get ahead of them," Tails stroked his chin. "We could stun them with our attacks, but I have a feeling that's too predictable. We need to take them by surprise."

"Sounds like a plan, little buddy," Sonic winked. He looked down at the neon lights on the ground. It didn't take long for a light bulb to glow inside his brain; he got an idea. "Knux, take red path! Tails, take the yellow, and I'll take the road that's as blue as me!"

Knuckles and Tails shared grins of determination and split up, heading down their respected pathways.

Storm and Wave took notice of this and decided to launch a counterattack. They decided to thwart Sonic and the others from getting ahead of them. As much as they hated keeping secrets from Jet, they allowed him to get ahead so that they could discuss a plan to activate the temple's traps.

Jet sped on ahead while Wave and Storm nodded their heads and pulled over to the side.

Tails jumped off of a ramp and entered the cycle of Dash Rings.

Knuckles leaped towards the middle and began punching random structures that stood in his way.

Sonic stomped his Extreme Gear onto a rail, grinding all the way to the top platform.

The two birds shared an evil smirk before putting their plan in motion. Storm rode over to the side of the temple and began bashing the ground with his tan gloved hands. Bash. Bash. Boom. Boom. Pow! He punched the ground with all of his might, causing the temple to shake harder than a maraca. Knuckles and Tails almost fell off guard because of the shaking, Sonic waved his arms back and forth and tried to keep his balance because he almost tripped off his board because of the rattling he felt beneath his feet. He shook his head and regained his original position. He glanced to Tails and Knuckles on his left and right, making sure they were okay.

As if things couldn't get any worse, pieces of the ruins collapsed ontop of Team Sonic.

"Look out!" Tails pointed above his head, avoiding a large piece of black debris that fell right next to him. "Hey, that's cheating!"

"Whatever makes us win, Shorty!" Wave chuckled.

"Take this, Sonic Forces!" Storm laughed. He resumed his role in providing a distraction for his rivals.

"Sonic Forces?" Sonic jumped over a piece of rubble that landed in front of him. "We're called _Sonic Heroes!_ " he watched as a piece of rock landed in front of him, so he decided to take this chance to kick it with his sneaker. The rock flew over the platform his was riding on and smacked Storm dead in the face.

"Ha!" Wave chuckled at Storm's pain. "Sonic Forces a rock top land in your face, Storm!"

"Shut up, Wave!"

The swallow put her plan into action when she pressed her fingers against the wall, resulting into a few bricks to press into the solid walls. As soon as they did that, the ruins began shaking and shaking, even more than it did when Storm punched the ground seconds ago. But instead of rubble falling from the walls, giant blocks of the ruins slowly shot out of the walls; they were aiming for Sonic and Tails.

"Sonic, Tails," Knuckles shouted. "Watch out!"

"What did you say, Knuckles?" Tails asked. His back slammed against the slow moving block that was flying in the horizontal direction. Thankfully, it was moving slow enough for the kitsune to use his propeller-like-tails to fly over the block.

Sonic, on the other hand, jumped over the block with a trick. But instead of landing it perfectly, he made a false landing which caused him to topple over his Extreme Gear. This resulted into him falling over the side of the platform. His Extreme Gear fell vertically down to the ground.

"Hang on, Sonic!" Tails dashed up to his best friend and grabbed his hand. Knuckles sped up and caught the blue hoverboard.

"Thank you, Tails, you saved me!" Sonic smiled and gave his brother a thumbs up. Knuckles tossed him his Extreme Gear and he caught it. Climbing back up on his board, Sonic joined forces with Tails and Knuckles, getting their revenge on Wave and Storm for cheating.

Sonic placed both of his hands together and smacked Wave upside the head. "You're a punk!" he shouted.

Knuckles smacked Storm in the face with his giant fists. "Outta my way!" he snarled.

"See ya later!" Tails waved goodbye to the both of them. Team Sonic was back in the competition.

But there was just one problem; Jet the Hawk was still in first place.

However, that didn't stop Team Sonic from moving onward. Even if they were in second place as a team, they were still determined to work together in order to win the race. Team Sonic raced through the temple until they caught to Jet the Hawk, who was close to entering one of the temple's main action features; six to seven mechanical bow that possessed the ability to shoot an entire person off it.

"Hey, Jet!" Sonic shouted. "Look behind you!"

Jet looked behind him and instantly growled when he heard the sound of Sonic's voice. "Why won't you give up already!? Oh, well! It doesn't matter, once I cross this finish line! I'll be one step closer to winning this race! You can't beat me with that joke of a gear, Sonic the Hedgehog! Now, get out of my way!"

"But getting in your way is so much fun!" Sonic smiled. He, Tails, and Knuckles caught up to Jet and boarded onto the bows. It didn't take long for Wave and Storm to climb on as well.

Chicka. Chicka. Chicka. Chicka. Snap! The bows leaned backward, setting themselves into the place. The arrows that the heroes were standing slowly pulled themselves back on the bow's string. Chicka, Chicka. Chicka. Snap. Whoosh! The bows released the six racers, shooting them up into the sky. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Jet, Wave, and Storm took to the skies, exiting the temple at a high acceleration. Achieving a high altitude. They all jumped off the oversized arrows they were riding on and dashed through the clouds on their Extreme Gears. Doing tricks. Flips. Kicks. And all sorts of crazy maneuvers that showed off their skills as riders. They eventually landed on the ground and made their way towards the stadium.

Team Sonic was now in first place. Team Babylon was back in second.

(~)

"And here they come folks!" shouted Omochao from the megaphone. He was doing what he did best when it came to World Grand Prixs; commentating. "Team Sonic has returned to the competition after their little battle with Team Babylon inside of the temple! But I have a strong feeling Team Babylon has more tricks up their sleeve. Can Team Sonic make it through their final lap or will Team Babylon prove their the fastest creatures alive!? Stay tuned to find out!... oh, and be sure to get yourself a hot dog. They're delicious! Even though, I'm a robot and I can't eat them… my life is garbage."

"Sick em', Sonic!" Amy joined the uproar of the crowd. "I know you can do it!"

"You got the power, guys!" Vector cheered.

"Focus your spirits," Espio nodded.

"We're with you guys!" Charmy saluted.

Near the track, Clay, Skylar, Emma, and Buster were cheering for the team they respected the most: Team Sonic. Buster and Clay were waving their fists around in the air, chanting something that annoyed Skylar real easily.

"T-E-A-M Sonic! Whoop, whoop!" Clay and Buster clapped their hands and stomped their feet. "T-E-A-M Sonic! Whoop, whoop! T-E-A-M Sonic! Whoop, whoop!"

"Gee, guys. It's obvious you're on Team Sonic," Skylar said. "Can't you come up with anything less annoying than that?"

"You need to lighten up, Skylar," Clay replied, grinning. "Besides, you've inspired us to cheer even louder for Team Sonic!"

"I've… inspired you?" Skylar touched her heart and smiled. "Clay… I'm touched that you think that way about me. You haven't told me that in a long time."

"Yeah, don't get used to it."

And then, Skylar went back to being annoyed at Clay.

Above the stadium itself, there were five dark shadows looming over the people on the bleachers, hearing them chanting for the teams they prefer. One of the shadows took out a pair of binoculars, peeking into them. He zoomed in on a glimpse of Sonic and Jet racing neck and neck with each other. Knuckles and Tails were alongside their leader, and the same could be said for Wave and Storm. The person behind the binoculars snarled, but he also let out an evil laugh.

Right before he was interrupted by one of his friends.

"What's going on, Finn?... how about now?... did they cross the finish line?" the person asked too many questions. "Come on, tell me!"

"Quiet, Jay!" said someone else. "Let Finn think!"

"Sorry, Pierce! I just want to know!" Jay replied.

Pierce rolled his eyes. "What's the plan, Finn?"

Finn removed the binoculars from his eyes and grinned. "Just be ready to move when I give the word… so we can take that blue murderer by surprise."

Team Sonic and Team Babylon made their way to the inside of the stadium, all six of them were right next to each other. Ready to finish their second lap. It was at that moment where Clay stepped forward and held out his hand. "Hey, Sonic!" he shouted. "High-five!"

" _Now!_ " Finn shouted. Someone next to him pressed a button on a remote control.

In the middle of the track, near the front of the finish line, there were not one, not two, but five remote controlled landmines hidden underneath the concrete. They are started blinking and making an annoying beeping noise just as they were activated. All six racers rode up to the finish line, thinking they're going to finish their second lap and move onto to the final countdown; the last lap of the race.

But all of a sudden.

 _ **(1s)**_ Boom. Boom. Boom! All five landmines exploded at the same time.

" _Sonic!_ " Amy shouted in worry, she and Team Rose hopped off the edge of the bleachers and ran over to their friends.

"Whoa!" Vector worried. He and the Chaotix followed Team Rose.

Team Sonic and Team Babylon found themselves soaring across the air, flinging their arms and legs back and forth. They eventually landed on the other side of the finish line, tumbling across the solid ground. Team Rose and Team Chaotix ran up to their friends, helping them up on their feet. What could have caused that explosion?

Clay the Rabbit looked down at his palm and questioned the explosion. He stuck his hand out as soon as Sonic and Jet raced into the stadium, so he figured that he somehow caused the landmines to explode. But his fantasy was obviously wrong.

"Wow, I didn't know a high five could cause an explosion," Clay said.

"I don't think that was you, Clay," said Emma.

Amy pulled Sonic up on his feet. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he replied, brushing himself off. "Tails, what was that?"

"I have no idea," Tails responded.

"Wave, you didn't do anything to rig the track, did you!?" Jet snarled.

"Of course not!" Wave scoffed, turning her head away from her boss. "I didn't do anything!"

"I only activated the temple's traps, Boss," said Storm. "I didn't do this. It must have been Wave. She's the one who planted a bomb on Sonic's gear in the past!"

"Oh, shut up, Storm!" Wave howled. "I know how much Jet hates cheating, so why would I rig the competition?"

"Because you're stupid!"

"That is a stupid reason, stupid!"

"Will the both of you stop talking!?" Jet stomped his foot and yelled. His face was _this_ close to turning red. "I'm certainly hoping none of you did anything to tarnish my reputation!"

The five shadows leaped out of the dark and glided across the colosseum as if they were birds. Espio took notice of this and pointed up to the sky above him. The five shadows reached their arms out and whipped out their claws, clinging to the wall like spiders. Two shadows slid down the walls, another shadow jumped on a rail and grinded down to Sonic's location.

The remaining shadow leaped into the air, a sword in his hand, and landed on the ground with a loud crash. The four dark figures landed beside him. Each of them had their own blades in their hand.

Espio took out his kunai and held it between his fingers. Amy took out her Piko Piko Hammer. Vector and Knuckles fist bumped each other before clenching their fists, Cream and Cheese cuddled beside Amy, Team Babylon raised their eyebrows in confusion, Tails squatted down in a battle pose, and Sonic… he shared the same expression as the Babylon Rogues, but he was also ready for battle.

Why? Because he was looking at the culprits of the explosion; a squad of five jackals.

All of them shared the same colored fur; it was blackish/greyish, and they all had white dreadlocks. But there were some things that made them different from one another.

One of them was regular Mobian sized jackal who wore a red beret on his head. A white bushy piece of chest hair against his chest and he had two tiny stripes of fur on his sides. Sports tape wrapped around his elbows, wrists, legs, and knees. He wore black shoes with a rounded curve at the end of them, a silver buckle sat on the very top. He had bright yellow eyes. He black gloves and gripped his weapon; a sword that was almost shaped like a wrench. His name… was Pierce.

The second jackal was female, she had the same eye color as her colleague; Pierce. She wore more clothing unlike the other male jackals; a green vest and a pair of brown pants. The pants had black Pokka dots on them. She also wore black shoes, but they looked more like shoes than boots. Actual laces were on them, but she did have more round curved shoes like Peirce did. She pushed her dreadlocks back with her gloves and took out her weapons; a pair of twin Sai with a black rim. Her name… was Tempest.

The third jackal was a rather large and bulky one; he was only a couple of feet taller than his friends. Same colored eyes. For attire, the only attire he had were the same colored gloves as his partners, the same black shoes, and a green bandana wrapped his head. He clapped his massive hands together and showed off his abs, ready for combat. He was armed with a green sword with a zig-zagged blade. His name… was Jay.

As for the fourth one, he was a normal medium sized, who also had a lot of clothing much like Tempest. Not only did he have yellow and brown colored gloves and shoes, he wore a red scarf around his neck. He also had a white harness around the upperpart of his body. Armed with an armada of daggers, he went under the name… Lance.

Last, but not least, there was their leader. He may not look different than he peers, but there were a few things that made him stand out on his own. The leader's gloves had more of a sharp look to them, meaning that they had a lot of pointy ends. His gloves had little claws at the end of each nail and his boots had sharp tips at the end of them. He had a white scar over his eye. Speaking of his eyes, unlike his other peers who all had yellow eyes, he had Heterochromia iridium; his right eye was blue, and his left eye was yellow. Wielding with a long sword that had the same zig-zagged curves as Jay's weapon, the leader of the squad was named… Finn.

The Sonic Heroes, including Team Babylon, stood confused. Why were jackals attacking them in the middle of the race? They each stood back and looked at the jackal's appearances. Armed and dangerous, they were.

"Who the heck are you clowns!?" Sonic asked, grinning.

Finn the Jackal stepped forward, waving his blade slowly. Aiming it straight at Sonic's chest. "My name is Finn: The Ultimate Mercenary! This is my Jackal Squad! And we will make you pay for what you've done to me!"

Sonic tapped his foot, stroking his chin. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm pretty sure it's a bad thing."

Finn let out a monstrous roar after hearing that snarky comment. It seemed the hedgehog didn't get his message.

"Okay," Sonic said, cracking his fingers, getting into a battle position. "Now, I'm convinced it's a bad thing."

"Jay, sound the alarm!"

Jay cupped his hands together and let out a ferocious, fire alarm like sound.

 _ **WHOOOOOOOOOOOO WHOOOOOOOOO WHOOOOOOOOO!**_

Rumble. Rumble. Rumble. The entire stadium started shaking again. Unfortunately, it wasn't the Sand Ruins' temple doing this, it was something else.

As soon as this started, everyone in the audience began to evacuate rapidly. Even Omochao, who would be a sucker to watch Sonic and the others take down a new bad guy, didn't want any part of this feud. So, he fled away like a coward. Soon enough, all the Mobians and humans have escaped the place… well, all except Clay and his friends.

Skylar, Emma, and Buster, who were in the middle of running away noticed that Clay was staying behind.

"Clay, come on!" Emma called out to him. "The whole stadium's going to come down at this rate!"

"Clay, please we have to go!" Buster pleaded with Clay.

"Unless you want to become a squashed rabbit, we need to go now!" Skylar said, tugging on the rabbit's arm. "Listen to Emma and Buster, Clay. You can fight the bad guy another time!"

"There's no way I'm going to flee now!" Clay replied. "Besides, whoever these jackals are, they'll be no might for my awesome muscles."

Clay raced to the top of the bleachers so he could get an inside scoop of what's to come. Skylar, Emma, and Buster panicked and chased after him.

A whole family of jackals entered the area. Jumping over the walls. Barging through the door and climbing down the bleachers. All the jackals surrounded Sonic and his friends, Team Babylon became slightly nervous about the number of jackals that cornered them. Team Sonic, Team Rose, and Team Chaotix shared glances with one another and with the Jackal Squad, they were ready for a fight against their new foe.

"Calling in your family tree, Finn?" Sonic asked. "Huh? This is new."

"Jackal Family!" Finn ordered. "Move in for the kill! Make this hedgehog pay for what he's done!"

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 2**_

* * *

 _Looks like we got some new intruders and they're obviously not here to race. Who are these jackals and what do they want with Sonic and the others? I guess we will have to find out in the next chapter. The chapter where this story starts to get to the point of the story itself. I apologize if this chapter wasn't much, but I hope the racing and the setup to the Jackal Squad made up for it... No? Well, goodbye. SpiderDom is leaving . Bye, guys..._

 _In all seriousness, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The next one will set up more of the story as we race along. haha, race get it? It's a JOKE!_

 _Tune in for "Chapter 3: Jackal Attack."_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _Yeah, Finn is the name of Pre-Infinite for this story. I know some people call him Zero or even put those two names together, but I decided Finn would be a better way to go. Just because it has a nice ring to it. The other Jackals' names I got from this image I saw of them with their names._

 _The army of Jackals aka The Jackal Family Tree came from this story called "The Wolf and the Jackal" by Infinite's Ruby. In that story, there are a lot of Jackals that are apart of the Jackal Squad and Pre-Infinite's Family in that story. So, I figured I would use that as an inspiration for this upcoming fight._

 _Since Jet the Hawk is not a fan of cheating, I decided to have Wave and Storm do the dirty work instead. As much as they hate to go behind Jet's back, they'll do what it takes to win._

 _Don't forget to leave a fav/follow if you're interested. And be sure to leave a review and tell me what you liked. I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 signing off. Bye!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	3. Jackal Attack

_**A/N:** Special thanks to TGN, Infinite's Ruby, SharpDragonKlaw, and Alexandria Prime for the reviews of the last chapter. And special shoutout to stephanieeiche10 for favoriting this story. They also followed Awakened as well so thank you for that follow as well! You're the best! A lot of you had questions as to why Finn (Pre-Infinite_ has a grudge against Sonic. Well, I can't spoil much, but it's inspired by a certain event in the Sonic Forces game and Sonic Unleashed... you'll see._

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) VS. Hobgoblin - Unfriendly Skies - Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions OST_**

 ** _(2) Fight the Knight (Instrumental) - Sonic and the Black Knight OST_**

 ** _(3) Superman Theme - John Williams_**

 _Without any further delay, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **Jackal Attack**

 _ **(1)**_ Without hesitation, Tempest, Jay, Pierce, Lance, and the rest of their family charged in on the heroes. All of them were prepared for a fight against their new enemy. It'll be easy to take them down because the heroes' numbers are lesser than the jackals' great numbers… or so they thought.

As soon as five jackals moved in for the kill, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles charged at them with ease. Knocking them down. Team Rose followed close behind the used their skills in martial arts to smack ten jackals into the stadium's walls, wowing Clay the Rabbit, who couldn't help but watch in awe.

Sonic homing attacked three jackals before slamming the ground, creating a Sonic Wind that sent a dozen canines into the air. The blue hedgehog then placed his hands together, offering Amy Rose a boost. She kindly accepted his offer and placed her foot on his hands; he tossed her into the air. From there, Amy created a pink tornado with her Piko Piko Hammer, sending the twelve jackals straight into the bleachers. Tails and Knuckles jumped beside Sonic and smacked more minions around as if they were chew toys. Knuckles using his fist while Tails was using an invention, he made during the Emerl incident, an Arm Cannon that doubled as a wrecking ball. He swung the chain around and whacked a few Jackals across their faces. He hit them one more time just to make sure they stayed down.

Knuckles dodged the attacks of three jackals before putting his hands together like a shield. Edges of blades pressed against his palms, but they somehow didn't cut him. He grabbed the blades with all his might, forcing the jackals off the ground. Swinging them around, he smashed them against the concrete track at the same time. Their faces got to eat some stone.

Espio was in the middle of a sword fight with Lance, the daggers they wielded clashed against one another. Clash. Clash. Clash! Espio and Lance were in equally in match with each other, however, Lance didn't have the ability to turn invisible. Which was something Espio used to his advantage.

He used his invisible power to disappear in plain sight, leaving Lance confused. "Ha-a-tsu!?" the jackal said, speaking in his natural language; Japanese. "Kare wa doko ni itta no!?"

"I'm right here!" Espio appeared from behind Lance, kicking him in the back, knocking him down. "Who sent you, Dr. Eggman?"

Lance didn't respond to the chameleon's query and instead answered him by attacking him. He kicked Espio's chest before grabbing the horn on his nose, flipping him over. Espio landed in the sand, stomach first. Lance took out one of his daggers and held the sharp side, downward. He was ready to kill the detective. Thankfully, Espio could always count on Vector and Charmy having his back.

The crocodile tackled the jackal and dogpiled on top of him.

Charmy flew in and protected Espio from a few mammals that wanted to kill the chameleon. Espio leaped upward and assisted Charmy in battle. Vector chucked the most silent of the jackals into a dozen canines, striking them down like bowling balls hitting bowling pins. "Strike!" Vector smirked. "Two more and I get a turkey!"

Cream the Rabbit, who wasn't one who condoned violence, didn't want to be left out of the battle. She knew her friends were in danger, so he wanted to help. She grabbed her best friend, Cheese, and threw him into a few jackals. She did apologize to them after taking them down. She then rolled into a ball and stomped onto a Jackal's head. Big the Cat climbed on top of the bleachers and got into a T-Pose, looming a shadow over five jackals. The five of them looked up and saw a giant fat cat that was about to show them his true power; a belly flop.

"Uh, oh!" Big said. He jumped in the air and aimed his belly at his enemies. He brought his entire weight down with enough force to make the jackals rethink their life decisions; he crushed them with his belly fat. All of them screamed at the top of their lungs.

As with the Babylon Rogues, they wanted nothing more to than to be uninvolved with this whole catastrophe, so they decided to hitchhike themselves out of here. Unfortunately, Jay and Pierce weren't going to let them leave, believing that they were colleagues of Sonic.

Jay tackled Storm off his hoverboard.

Pierce scratched the bottom of Wave's gear, ticking the swallow off. "Quit wrecking my gear!" she snarled, kicking Pierce in the face. "Jet, I got a plan! While Team Sonic's distracted, we should go ahead and finish the race!"

"There's no way we can win this race now, Wave!" Jet protested, kicking some jackals in their noises. He whipped out a large feather fan called a Bashosen. He twirled it around and created a green tornado, stunning his opponents. "If I'm going to beat Sonic in a race, I want it to be fair and square! We'll have to find a way to deal with these mangy mutts first!"

"You mean you're going to fight on my side, Jet?" Sonic teased, saving the hawk from a surprise ambush. Knuckles joined the fight and kicked three jackals into each other. "I'm flattered."

"Shut up, Sonic the Hedgehog!" Jet huffed. He jumped off his board and stunned more enemies.

"I bet I can knock out more enemies than you can!" Storm bragged to Knuckles, punching more jackals.

"Don't count on it, meathead!" Knuckles uppercutted Jay. The green jackal tried to stab the echidna, but Vector and the Chaotix dived into Jay, the crocodile and the bee jumped on top of him. _**(1s)**_

Sonic, Tails, Amy, Cream, and Big were fighting against a swarm of "mangy mutts" when suddenly, the voice of Finn sparked out of nowhere. The Ultimate Mercenary leaped upward, his sword pointed downward. "Sonic the Hedgehog," he snarled. "You will die!" _**(2)**_

Finn penetrated his sword through the sand, but instead of hitting Sonic, the hedgehog cartwheeled out of the way and performed a flip, kicking Finn up the jaw. The jackal hissed and struck back with a swipe. He missed Sonic again.

"Ha, I've noticed that you've got quite a temper!" Sonic joked with the jackal, rolling underneath a roundhouse kick. "Have you ever done this before?"

"I've been trained by the finest mercenaries in all of Mobius!" Finn stabbed his sword through the ground, it landed between Sonic's legs. The hedgehog pushed himself upward and pressed his feet against Finn's chin; kicking him up his jaw. Sonic landed on the ground and rolled beside Finn's next attack. "Hold still, you murderer!"

"Murderer?" Sonic said, surprised. "I've been called many things, but no one's ever called me _that!_ Could you explain why you called me such a harsh name?"

"You know why!" Finn sliced his sword downward, Sonic caught it between his hands.

"No, I really don't!"

Sonic struggled to keep Finn's oversized red velvet sword from stabbing him in his emerald green eyes. Sweat rained down his head and his fingers started to get a cramp. He had to let go soon, but how? His question soon got an answer as soon as a solid silver chain wrapped around the blade, pulling it out of Finn's hands.

It was Tails. He caught the sword with one hand, giving Sonic a chance to fight back. "I'll take this!... wow, this sword is interesting. What type of metal is made of? Is this Ruby Quartz? If so, that is impressive."

"Hey, Tails," Sonic said, getting punched in the face by Finn. He was pinned down to the ground. "Would you mind not geeking out at a dangerous weapon and help me in the fight?" he flipped Finn over him with his feet.

"Oh!" Tails tossed the sword over to the side. "Sorry, Sonic!" he rushed to his best friend.

Cream and Cheese dealt with more enemies until they saw Amy Rose fly in their direction. She was kicked in the chest by someone. Using her floppy ears, she ascended into the air and caught Amy. Cheese flew up to protect her from any incoming projectiles. Both girls landed on the ground, brushing themselves off. Big was able to regroup with his team.

"Are you okay, Ms. Rose?" Cream asked.

"I'm fine, Cream," Amy replied, firmly grasping her between her fingers. "I'm just dealing with… _her!_ "

Tempest rose from the crowd and landed against the sand. She whipped out her twin Sai and waved them around like a ninja. Up. Down. Left. Right. Trying to strike fear into her opponents' souls. That wasn't the case. Team Rose backed away from the skilled mercenary, trying to figure out a way to defeat her.

"You know, Miss," Big said, trying to peace-talk his way out of the fight. In the back, Knuckles and Storm slammed more jackals against each other. Jet and Wave were paralyzing their enemies with their own weapons. Team Chaotix helped their friends and rivals in battle. Big wiped some sweat off his face before he continued talking. "It's not nice to attack my friends."

"I didn't want to," Tempest wrapped her fingers around the hilts of her weapons. "But I will do what I must!"

Tempest leaped towards Team Rose, but all three of them dodged out of the way. Amy smashed her hammer into her, but she blocked it with her weapons. Returning fire with a roundhouse kick, Tempest missed Amy by a split second. The two girls began to square off, Cream and Big chased after them.

In the bleachers, Clay peeked his head over the balcony, he was dazed by how many jackals were getting their behinds handed to them by the Sonic Heroes and the Babylon Rogues. Each of them had a role to play in the fight, no one was useless, no one was cowering away, all of them gave it their all. Which made Clay even more excited to see them fight. Buster, Skylar, and Emma, on the other hand, despite being huge fans of Sonic and the Freedom Fighters, they didn't want to run the risk of being involved in such a mess. So, they slowly tip-toed away, hoping Clay would follow them.

"This is awesome!" Clay cheered. "Look at all these mammals! They're getting their butts handed to them!"

"Yes, this is awesome, indeed, Clay," Skylar nodded. "But we really should get going… so, let's go-!" _**(2s)**_

Clay quickly gasped because he saw that Cream and Big were trapped by a few jackals. They didn't harm them, but they trapped them in a circle. This meant that Amy was left flying solo, Tempest took this chance to volley kick the hedgehog in the stomach. The rabbit hoped that someone would come in and so something cool in order to save Amy, but sadly, nothing of that sort happened.

Sonic and Tails were fighting against Finn.

Team Babylon found themselves cornered.

Knuckles and the Chaotix were surrounded. _**(3)**_

Clay the Rabbit felt that he needed to be the one to save the day, just like dreamed in his fantasies. "Amy Rose is in trouble!" he said, climbing onto the railing. "This looks like a job for… The Mighty Clay! I summon the power of the Mobian Gods to help me thwart this foe! They shall bless me with their powers!"

"Clay!" Buster cried. "What are you doing!? Get down from there!"

Clay jumped over the railing and entered the fight. Tossing, turning, and running through all the jackals that were getting pummeled by the Sonic Heroes. He pushed one canine to the side and socked another one in the face with his fist. He finally made it over to Amy, just as she was about to have her guts spilled by Tempest. "Hold it right there, miss lady jackal person!" he ordered in his dark superhero like voice. "Why mess with someone like her when you can have a little taste of _my_ power!?"

Confused, Tempest backed away from Amy and stomped towards the rabbit. "Who do you think you are?"

"Who am I!?... My name is Clay: Clay the Rabbit! The most awesome warrior in all of Mobius! I have a high PHD in _Lightning and thunder!_ I would be called the God of Thunder… but that's copyrighted. When I walk down the streets, they call me the King of Hammers! Why?... because I like hammers. They're cool!" Clay clapped his hands together and got into a boxing pose, holding his fists against his face. "All right, whatever your name is!... let's to it do it!"

"Dude, it's pronounced do it to it!" Sonic called from the crowd. He whacked Finn in his face. Tails slammed his Arm Cannon against the other side of Finn's face. "Get your facts right!"

"Come on, jackal scum! Put em' up! Is that all you got!?"

Tempest punched Clay right across the face.

"Is that all you got?"

She punched him again.

"I-is t-t-that all y-you g-got!?"

She punched him one last time.

"Is… that… all you…" he coughed. "Got!?"

Tired of this rabbit's lame attempt at fighting, Tempest punched Clay in his stomach. The rabbit winced in pain, as he slowly lowered himself to the ground. Knees pressed against the sand. He wrapped his arms around his stomach. "Ouch!" he moaned. "Ha! You think that's going to stop me. I hereby summon the power to… oh, no."

 _ **GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR**_

Something was moaning inside of the rabbit's stomach, something that wanted to come out. It was his Clay the Rabbit special, a disgusting sandwich he made the mistake of ordering. His whole body started shaking, trembling because he was ready to commit something that was going to affect the battle in a heavy way.

He threw up all over Tempest's shoes. _**(3s)**_

The jackal screamed at the top of her lungs as soon as her boots made physical contact with Clay's fluids. She was appalled, disgusted, and filled with nothing but horror. Her yellow eyes were locked at the abomination Clay was spilling out all over her boots. "Ewwwwwwwww!" she squealed.

Everyone stopped fighting after they heard the scream, seeing Clay throw up more on Tempest's shoes. She was too paralyzed to take a step back.

"Eww," said Sonic, he cringed.

"Oh, that is disgusting!" Knuckles commented.

"That… is… IT!" Tempest stepped out of the mud of puke, pointing her fingers in the air. "Retreat! Everyone retreat!"

"What!? No one is retreating under my command!" Finn shouted, glaring at Tempest. "It's just a little puke, Tempest. You've seen worse. I refuse to call off the attack, I will not be viewed as weak!"

"Oh, yes, _we are!_ " Tempest said, storming over to Finn. " _You're_ not the one who had their boots puked on by a rabbit! Besides, our families are injured! We're retreating!"

"Pierce, tell Tempest no one is fleeing like rats from a sinking ship!" Finn snarled at Pierce.

"In this situation, perhaps a tactical retreat would be the best course of action," Pierce replied, wiping sweat off his forehead. "Finn, even a good leader would know when to retreat in order to prevent any more harm coming to their forces. Plus… everyone is running."

"Run away!" shouted a female jackal. "Run!"

"Screw this, I'm out!" said a giant bulky jackal.

The Jackal Family tree ran for their lives, acting as if the zombie apocalypse was raining down upon them. Finn, feeling embarrassed, turned over his shoulder. He watched as Sonic reunited with his teammates. He raised his sword in the air and pointed at the hedgehog. "This isn't over, Hedgehog!" he growled. He followed the Jackal Squad out the door. "Next time, I will not lose!"

"Yeah, yeah, like I haven't heard that one before!" Sonic cupped his hands over his mouth, responding back. "And next time, fix your hairline!... Ultimate Mercenary, what kind of ridiculous name is that?"

The Jackal Squad evacuated the stadium.

The Sonic Heroes have won the fight.

Sonic leaped upward and waved his fist in the air, shouting with glee because of another flawless victory. It may not have been a victory against his arch-nemesis, Dr. Eggman, but he didn't care. He just enjoyed the feeling of kicking a villain's rear end. Wrapping his arm around Tails, he high-fived everyone else.

"Always a pleasure doing business with you guys," Sonic smiled. "I can kick butts with anyone any day."

Before anyone could reply to Sonic's compliment, they heard Clay the Rabbit moaning and groaning. Everyone turned to him, observing him get up and brush himself off. He coughed up one last drip before wiping his mouth. Feeling bad that the poor kid lost his lunch, Sonic and his team walked up to him, wanting to see if he was okay.

"Hey, kid," Sonic said. "You okay?"

"I'm okay," Clay coughed, wiping his lip. "Thanks,"

"Here, take some water," Espio pulled out a water bottle he bought at the concession stand before the race went downhill. "You lost a lot of fluids back there."

"Thanks, Chameleon dude," Clay smiled. He took the water and took a sip, feeling a nice cold taste run down his throat. He removed his lips from the bottle and took a heavy breath. "Nice work out there, guys, always a pleasure seeing you guys fight. Great job!"

"Looks like we got ourselves a fan," Charmy whispered to Vector. "Think he wants an autograph?"

Skylar, Emma, and Buster rushed over to their floppy eared friend, worried about his wellbeing.

"Clay, please don't scare us like that again!" Skylar said, worried. "We were so worried when you nearly passed out back there!"

The rabbit took another sip of his drink, feeling guilty for making someone he cares about worry about him. "Hey guys, I'm sorry for making you worry like that," he replied. "I promise, I won't be so reckless next time."

"You know," Amy said. "What you did was reckless, but you did save me. Thanks, Clay."

"You're welcome, Amy… so, does this mean you're going to add me to your lost of crushes. Cause once Clay the Rabbit saves a dame, he gets a dame."

Rather than taking offense to that, Amy was smart enough to know that this guy was just showing off. Something she's seen before in Sonic the Hedgehog. She turned to her crush and gave him a grin. "Ha! Narcissistic, reckless, helping others in need, I'm starting to have trouble telling you two apart."

"Real cute, Amy," Sonic gently punched Amy in the arm. Amy punched him back hard. "Real adorable,"

Team Sonic grabbed their Extreme Gear, which were laying down on the floor the entire battle and started leaving. Sonic waved to Clay and his friends before saying farewell "Well, this has been fun, Clay," Sonic waved goodbye. "Catch you guys on the flip side. Oh, and Clay! Little tidbit, the next time you're in a fight, try not to eat too much."

"I'll uh… keep that in mind," Clay replied.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles jumped on their Extreme Gears and boosted out of the stadium. Team Rose followed close behind on foot. As with Team Babylon, they decided it would be best to leave since it didn't look like there would be another World Grand Prix anytime soon. They jumped on their only modes of transportation and exited through the top. Team Chaotix, rather than leaving, walked up to Clay and asked him a question.

"Hey, man," Vector said. "Before you go, can we ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?" Clay replied.

"Why do you sound like an emo superhero?"

* * *

Finn paced back for forth in the Sand Ruins' sands, moaning and growling about his plan's failure. How could he have failed? He set up a trap at the start of the race, nobody noticed him. The landmine did work; however, Sonic and his friends were able to defeat him and his entire jackal family. It didn't make sense to Finn. How could they have lost when they're the best trained mercenaries in Mobius? He stomped around back and forth, trying to find a logical explanation for his failure.

Beside him, Lance was sitting on a pile of debris, playing his favorite instrument; the banjo. He played a small tune in order to keep the mood as calm as possible, but Finn was not in the mood for music. He growled every time Lance began playing his banjo, but he didn't feel like going up to him and breaking it. That would just add more salt to the drama. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. He resumed his sulking.

Pierce was talking with his family on his tablet, trying to get them to come back to the Jackal Squad under Finn's command; however, it wasn't going so well. "Yeah… yeah, I know Sonic beat us all… well, how was I supposed to know he brought his friends with him?... Hey, you don't have to call me names!... Yeah!? Well, you're a _bigger_ one!" he hung up the call.

Jay was listening to Lance play his banjo, Tempest was cleaning the puke that was on her shoes by rubbing her feet against the sand. "Eww, eww, eww, _eww!_ " she cringed. "This is disgusting!"

Finn wasn't listening to Tempest's complaining. He was just pacing around the sand.

Tempest finished cleaning her boots to the best of her ability. She stormed over to Finn and decided to give him a piece of her mind. "Great idea back there, Finn!" she snarled in a sarcastic tone. "Taking Sonic the Hedgehog and his band of Freedom Fighters head on without any plan! Yeah, real smart plan back there, Finn!"

"Quiet, Tempest! How was I supposed to know Team Rose, the Chaotix, and the Babylon Rogues would back them up!? I didn't know they were present!"

"They were _right in FRONT of YOU! RIGHT THERE!_ How could you not have noticed them!?"

"So, I made a mistake. Leaders make mistakes all the time, but _I'm_ going to make up for that mistake because I have another plan! Pierce, have you gotten into contact with our families?"

Pierce let out a nervous sigh, rubbing the back of his white dreadlocks. "Yeah… about that."

"What's wrong?" Finn asked. "Are they coming back?"

"No, not really. You see, they were so mad about your plan failing that our cousins, brothers, and sisters blocked us from our contacts. They even blocked us on social media. Also, our grandparents, aunts, and uncles sent us hate mail."

"What do you mean hate mail?"

Pierce scrolled his tablet and pulled up a list of emails they received from their families. He cleared his throat and read them aloud. "Uncle Jekyll says, _'Wow, you fight worse than a hedgehog. A rabbit could fight better than you.'_ "

Finn felt insulted after hearing that.

"Aunt Hyde says, _'Setting up a landmine at the start of the race? That's basic stuff for newbie mercenaries.'_ "

Jay and Lance shared a glance. Finn rolled his eyes. Tempest folded her arms.

"This last one comes from Finn's cousin, Zero. He says, _'Go eat some toast like you always do, Fatty!'_ "

"All right! I think that's enough!" Finn huffed. Pierce put his tablet away. "Okay, so… it doesn't look like our families are coming back anytime soon."

"Well, I told you calling them was a bad idea, but no! You decided to put their lives in danger! You didn't listen to me!" Tempest sneered. "Besides, ignore Zero. He's jealous because you passed the leadership trials and he didn't. Zero's always been a bit of a brat if you ask me."

"No, Tempest. Zero wimped out because he was lazy, said he didn't have the motivation to be a leader," Finn said, fighting to keep his tone calm. "He's fatter than me, and he knows it! I don't have a toast obsession, he does!"

"I don't care what he's addicted to! My point is that you made a big mistake putting our families in danger! My mom was sat on my that giant cat!"

"I made a mistake!? You called a tactical retreat all because your shoes got barfed on!"

"They were three-hundred-dollar shoes! Second, did you not see how many of our friends and family got hurt!? If you were a leader that actually gave a darn! You wouldn't be acting as weak-minded as you are!"

" _I AM NOT WEAK!_ "

Finn lifted his hand up to attack Tempest and Tempest reached behind her to pull out her Sai. Before they can hurt each other, Lance whipped out his dagger and got between Finn and Tempest, telling them to back off from each other. Finn and Tempest gasped as soon as they saw their red-scarfed friend get between them, his yellow gloves twirled the blades around. Both jackals back off, as Lance placed his weapons away.

"Jubundesu!" Lance growled. "Otagi ni tatakau no o yame nasai!"

"Lance is right," Pierce said. "Fighting won't get us anywhere!"

"Yeah, guys. We're not supposed to fight. We're cousins, we're supposed to be family." Jay wrapped his arms around the quarreling jackals. "Besides, you two have gone together like peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies, cereal and milk, stop me when you hear something you like."

Tempest pushed Jay off her shoulder and pushed her finger into Finn's chest. "If you come up with another dangerous plan like that again, I'm leaving the Jackal Squad! Which is going to suck for you because you idiots would be nothing without me!"

 _ **GASP!**_

Lance, Pierce, and Jay stood back in shock after what Tempest just said. Finn did nothing because he's heard her say this type of thing before. He looked around at his cousins and shook his head at Tempest, disappointed in what she said about them. The green-vested canine took a heavy breath before he registered what she said. Turning her head to face her family, she realized that she basically said that they couldn't take care of themselves unless if she was around. She didn't mean that obviously, but the other jackals didn't know that.

The largest jackal of the five; Jay, felt a few soft tears run down his face. He wiped his eyes and dug his face into Lance's shoulder, using his scarf as a tissue. Wiping the snot off his scarf, Lance pulled Jay into a warm, inviting hug.

Pierce backed away from his cousins and sat down on a piece of the ruins.

"No, guys!" Tempest said in a saddened tone. "I didn't mean to say- "

"I think you've said enough," Finn touched Tempest's shoulder before walking over to comfort Pierce. He sat next to him on the ruins and continued thinking of his plan to kill Sonic. "You all right, Pierce?"

The jackal took off his red beret, releasing a low sigh. "I'm all right, Finn," he replied softly. "You're not going to like what I'm going to say, I know Tempest just called us a bunch of idiots, but she only says stuff like that just to keep us in check. In other words, she wants to look after us. We're family, it's the reason why we stick together. But sometimes, families fight and quarrel with each other, that's a fact of life. Just apologize to her and I'm sure she'll take back what she said."

Finn sighed, his shoulders rose and fell. "You're right, she does mean well. But just because she's a year older than me doesn't give her an excuse to boss me around. I still want to make that blue rat pay for what's he done to me!"

Pierce fell silent, mulling over an idea that sparked a smile on his face. "You know, when we were driving in Emerald Hill to get here, I saw an Eggman base that looked to be abandoned. If you want, we can raid the place and steal some of the old technology that's there. But hey, it's not decision, I'm just the messenger. It's your call."

Finn smiled after hearing the news, his bad mood quickly faded away. He stood up and dusted his hands off. "Pierce, round up the others, we're going to visit Dr. Eggman's old house."

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 3**_

* * *

 _Looks like Finn and the Jackal Squad are going to visit an "old" Eggman base. Why do I use quotation makes around "Old?" well, let's just say a familiar villain will show up in the next chapter. Along with a certain character I've talked a lot of crap about in my own reviews for other Sonic Forces rewrites. I think you all know who it is. Find out as we see our jackals go head-to-head in "Chapter 4: Tell Me What You Really See."_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _Lance's Japanese to English Translations:_

 _1\. "Ha-a-tsu!?" = "Huh!?"_

 _2\. "Kare wa doko ni itta no!?" = "Where did he go!?"_

 _3\. "Jubundesu!" = "Enough!"_

 _4\. "Otagi ni tatakau no o yame nasai!" = "Stop fighting with each other!"_

 _For those of you wondering why I keep comparing Clay's voice to a superhero. That's because his voice was inspired by Christian Bale's Batman voice from The Dark Knight Trilogy. I added that in there just to add to his so-called coolness._

 _Special shout-out to Infinite's Ruby for helping me with the jackal moments. Her stories have a lot of jackal moments in there so I thank her for the help._

 _As always, don't forget to leave a review, fav, and/or follow. I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see ya next time, web-heads!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	4. Tell Me What You Really See

_**A/N:** Special thanks to Alexandria Prime, TurquoiseTriangle, Infinite's Ruby, and TGN for leaving a review on here. And special thanks and shoutout to TurquoiseTriangle for leaving a follow and favorite on this story. Be sure to check out his Sonic Forces story "Forces United: The Dark Wolf Begins" or if you're more of a Splatoon person, check out "Inkredible - A Fresh Start." Special thanks to all of you for 300+ views on this story. :D_

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Egg Reverie Zone - Sonic Mania(Plus) OST_**

 ** _(2) Infinite Battle (First Bout) - Sonic Forces OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **Tell Me What You Really See**

"Yo, Ro-butt-nik! Listen to me! I cannot let you and King Scrap Heap over there open a portal to another dimension!" _**(1)**_

In Classic Sonic's world; a separate reality from Modern Sonic's world, the hero of this timeline; Classic Sonic was in the middle of a battle against Classic Eggman and a new super villain known as the Phantom King a former EggRobo who was transformed into a powerful dictator thanks to a new power discovered by Classic Eggman himself, a mysterious gemstone that sat on the king's head. The Phantom King was in the middle of a fight against his master, wanting to use the power of the gemstone for his own purposes, but Classic Eggman didn't want any of his insecure minions to use a power _he_ discovered first.

Armed with a machine called the Klepto Mobile; a mech built from a damaged Egg Mobile with added arms. Two red-barrel like arms sat on the sides, while a spring-like-arm sat on the back of vehicle. Classic Eggman fired a punch across Phantom King's face before tackling him against a pile of garbage that sat in the middle of the arena, the purple and black sky gleamed purple streaks of light on top of them.

Classic Sonic, in his Super Form, stormed into the Klepto Mobile and kicked its pilot across the face.

Phantom King quickly grabbed the golden hedgehog and chucked him to the side, preventing him from getting in the way.

Classic Super Sonic flung around backward before catching himself mid-air, shaking his head to relieve the dizziness that rang in his brain. He cracked his fingers and looked up at the purple and black skies, the violet clouds moved around, magenta lightning struck from the sky. Boom. Boom. Boom!

All three combatants were fighting in a place called the Egg Reverie Zone; a barren wasteland where time and space does not exists. They were brought here because of the mysterious gemstone on top of Phantom King's head, but how can a small gem have so much power as to bring three people to another dimension?

That question didn't ramble through Classic Super Sonic's head. Instead, he let his fists do the talking.

He socked one punch across Phantom King's face and homing attacked Classic Eggman's invention. He repeated that procedure twice just to make sure they got the point he was trying to make; which was to either let the ruby go or be destroyed.

Phantom King whipped his scepter around like a pair of nunchucks and swatted at the golden hedgehog. He then raised his weapon in the air and slammed it downward, but Classic Eggman landed a punch across his creation's face, the back hand on the Klepto Mobile reached over and aimed for the ruby on the king's crown.

But Classic Super Sonic homing attacked the mech and grabbed the chain-like-hand. Swinging it around and around like a record player. He finally chucked Classic Eggman into a large cube of garbage. Rubble, debris, and all kinds of garbage fell right on top of the Klepto Mobile, but all of that weight combined wasn't enough to stop the fat scientist from achieving his goal.

Classic Super Sonic and Phantom King were caught in a fist-filled brawl; the latter kept firing punches, the former evaded all of them. Blocking some attacks with his hands. "Kids, behave yourselves!" the super-powered hedgehog said. "This is why we can't have nice things!"

"He's the one who started it, you moronic blue hedgehog!" Classic Eggman shouted in anger, pointing at Phantom King. He drove the Klepto Mobile straight into Phantom King and Classic Super Sonic, knocking them both out of the air. "Give me back that ruby, you bucket of bolts!"

Phantom King smacked the damaged Egg Mobile across the side.

Classic Super Sonic spun right between Phantom King's eyeballs.

The Klepto Mobile swung underneath Phantom King and rapidly punched.

This battle was filled with nothing but chaos and entropy, how could this battle come to an end?

An answer came quickly as soon as The Klepto Egg captured the Phantom King in its grasp, squeezing the life out of the robot, feeling its circuits crush underneath its fingertips. Soon enough, Classic Eggman ripped the Phantom King into pieces, the magenta gemstone flew into the air.

"That's one baby taken care of, now to put the other one to sleep!" Classic Super Sonic grinned, kicking the mech aside.

"Will you stop making parent jokes!" Classic Eggman retorted. "They're getting annoying!"

Classic Eggman rammed into the super hedgehog, catching the gemstone on the Klepto Egg's chained hand. "At last!" he said. "It's mine!"

"Not for long, Egghead!" Classic Super Sonic shouted. He flew to the the far side of the wasteland. He stopped himself and made a direct U-turn, boosting his way through garbage and rubble. The young version of Mobius' hero was planning on finishing this adventure, right here, right now. He was tired of having to go through old and new zones in order to finally chase down his arch-enemy, but he figured it was all worth it to give Eggman what he truly deserved. "Eggman, you're going in a time out!"

To deflect against Sonic (Or at least, try too) Classic Eggman grumbled and swatted one of the Klepto Mobile's large barrel arms.

Classic Super Sonic ducked underneath the arm and grabbed onto it, ripping it off the contraption. Classic Eggman scream at the top of his lungs, he only had one arm two arms left. But prior initiating another counterplay, Super Sonic was dead in front of him.

Classic Eggman's only resort… was to hold the gemstone right in front of him.

"Here's Sonic!" Classic Super Sonic, surrounded by a golden aura, slammed right into the Klepto Mobile.

But as soon as he did that… something unexpected happened. _**(1s)**_

 _ **VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!**_

The gemstone miraculously transformed Classic Sonic out of his Super Form. Him and the seven Chaos Emeralds bounced back after being hit by the stone's pulse. Dr. Eggman was knocked out of his rugged Egg Mobile after the gemstone kicked him off.

All seven Chaos Emeralds and the magenta rock suddenly stormed into the sky, the emeralds circled around the ruby. It was almost as if their powers were somehow reacting with each other, Sonic and Eggman didn't know if this was a positive effect or a negative effect. Their answer came to them as soon as a giant wormhole appeared in the middle of the sky, it roared as loud as a lion and rumbled like the sound of someone's hungry stomach. The two fighters stood back a few feet, Classic Eggman was afraid of what was happening. Classic Sonic made a solid gulp.

"Well… this ain't good," Classic Sonic said, he turned to Classic Eggman. "Eggman, what did you do!?"

"I-I don't know!" Classic Eggman replied. "I've never seen the emeralds do this before!"

Suddenly, the strength of the wormhole increased by a ton because Classic Sonic suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground. Classic Eggman did the same thing as well. He waved his arms back and forth, screaming in pure agony.

He was sucked through the wormhole.

Classic Sonic grabbed onto a piece of a pipe sticking out of the garbage pile. He hoped that of he hung onto this thing long enough, he could pull himself back to the surface and get back home to see Classic Tails and Classic Knuckles again, as he knew those two were waiting for him by Never Lake; the location of Little Planet.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for him. Within less than a second, he was sucked through the portal. The mysterious gemstone followed close behind.

The portal finally sealed closed. All was quiet in the Egg Reverie Zone.

(~)

Classic Sonic traveled through what looked to be a black dimension with all sorts of white streaks of light, connecting like a spider web. Magenta orbs of energy shot by Classic Sonic, barely touching him. As the young hedgehog flew around, his whole body started acting weird; it was misshaping, purple, blue, and white pixels started covering his body. But they would disappear a second later. In other words, Classic Sonic was glitching.

As if his problems couldn't get any worse, he heard voices around the black dimension as his body continued glitching.

" _How could you do this to us!? I thought we were friends!"_

" _I'm afraid our little game ends now, Sonic the Hedgehog."_

" _Tails, get out of there now!"_

" _For the fate of my future, I will destroy you!"_

" _Tails, Amy, head down to Sunset Park. See if you could find any clues about that creature."_

" _Sonic!"_

Classic Sonic grasped his ears and dug his fingers into his fur, squalling in the highest tone his voice could go.

 _ **AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**_

(~)

In Modern Sonic's world; Mobius, Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik paced around back and forth in his new lab structure, the Arsenal Pyramid. A large black room that had a lot of light and color to it, thanks to the numerous light blue test tubes that illuminated the darkness of the bare room.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Dr. Eggman patted his foot against, repeating the same thing he's been doing since he got out of bed this morning; stomping back and forth aimlessly. He tapped his foot. Stroked his mustache. And tightened his red jacket, thinking of a new way to get back at Sonic the Hedgehog after the incident that happened on the Lost Hex. After that said incident, the evil scientist with an IQ of 300 couldn't think of any ideas for robot designs, all he's been doing is walking around his laboratory.

Orbot and Cubot; Eggman's lackeys, were by the computer. The former was looking through the footage of the security cameras outside while Cubot was cleaning one of the test tubes with a wash cloth. Both watched their master pace in a circle.

"Sheesh," said Cubot. "Eggman's getting a lot more exercise than he does at the Olympic Games."

"That is impressive since the last Olympic Games were four years ago," Orbot said. "Oh, yes. Pacing around in a circle is going to become the next Olympic sport. Eggman wants to go for all those gold medals!"

"Go Dr. Eggman!" Cubot cheered.

"Will the two of you shut up!" Dr. Eggman shouted. Stopping his pacing, he turned his head to face his assistants. "I'm pacing around like an idiot because I'm trying to come up with new robot designs! Ever since that incident on the Lost Hex, ideas haven't been coming to me like they used to!"

Dr. Eggman sat down in his chair, picking up a few pieces of paper. They were sketches of rejected robot concepts he planned, but never got around to finishing.

"Look at these! They're all garbage!" he showed Orbot and Cubot the first one; a Motobug that shot out acid. He flipped the paper to the second page, it showed a green hedgehog robot with black shades and a leather jacket with flames on it. He crumbled them up and tossed them into the air. "None of these designs are working! It's hopeless!"

"Perhaps this is a sign, a sign that you should do something else with your life," Orbot said, checking the security footage.

"What else can I do besides be an evil genius?"

"Maybe you can go back to school and get your teaching degree?" Cubot suggested.

"That actually sounds hilarious, but I have a strong feeling that I did that in an alternate universe. One that has Sonic wearing a scarf, it was weird."

"Um, Boss," Orbot said, he sounded worried. "You might want to take a look at this."

"What is it?" Dr. Eggman asked, he and Cubot walked to where Orbot was standing. The orb-shaped robot pointed at security footage of the front door. "The radar's picking up a strange energy reading just outside the front door."

"Hmm?... wonder what it is." Dr. Eggman replied, waving his lackeys goodbye. "Stay here, don't break anything!"

"No promises, sir," Orbot waved.

The warm spring breeze smacked Dr. Eggman with a hiss, as he opened the door and felt the blazing sun gleam down upon his bald head. He walked over to the front of the door and saw a giant crater in the ground. He wondered what could have caused this crater and just how he didn't hear whatever impacted the ground. Scratching his head, he walked up to the crater and found something he didn't expect.

It was the same gemstone that Classic Sonic and Classic Eggman were fighting over. An icosahedron ruby with black ripple patterns along its surface. It was small enough to fit in the palm of someone's hand.

Curious, Dr. Eggman reached down to grab the ruby, unaware of its powers. "This is the weirdest looking Chaos Emerald I've ever seen."

As soon as he made physical contact with the ruby, a wave of red energy washed out of the gem. The same indescribable noise that affected Classic Sonic and Eggman deafened the doctor's ears. He immediately raised his hand to shield his eyes from the bright light. Before he knew it, the noise simmered down, he warily lowered his hand. His jaw dropped at an unusual sight.

The first of many things he was the setting; it was Eggmanland; the energy plant he built a long time ago to harness Dark Gaia energy. The same smell of smog spewing was the same, so were the numerous roller coasters, Ferris wheels, rails, amusement park games, etc. Only this version of the park wasn't used for storing energy, it was a pure amusement park… that was turned into a war zone.

To the side of him, in the middle of the smoke that came from missiles exploding into the ground, there was a Resistance of Mobians and GUN soldiers fighting against the Eggman Empire. His own empire consisted of the Deadly Six, Metal Sonic, Chaos, and Shadow the Hedgehog (That was surprise to him). But what shocked him the most was what he found when he took a step backward. His foot accidentally kicked something behind him when he walked back, he jerked his head downward and gasped at the sight of… unconscious bodies

Specifically, the wounded bodies of Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Team Chaotix, Silver the Hedgehog, Rouge the Bat, E-123 Omega, and Blaze the Cat. All of them were somehow injured, but how did they get that way?

His answer came to him as soon as he heard noises, noises of lasers firing at someone. Screams were added to the noise of the missiles and gunfire.

What he saw was himself, wearing green armor made entirely made of crystals. The same gemstone was implanted in the middle of his chest. He was smacking Sonic around like a chew toy, picking him up and slamming him against the dirt.

"Batter up, Hedgehog!" Crystal Eggman tossed the hedgehog up in the air before he flew him across the sky with an uppercut. Sonic tumbled across the red dirt and landed inside a cotton candy stand. He jumped up on his feet and raced towards his enemy. "You're not stopping this! Not today!"

" _I am stopping this!_ " Sonic stomped his foot, dashing into Eggman in his spin ball form. " _ **Right now!**_ "

Crystal Eggman caught Sonic and untucked him from his little ball, holding him up by the neck. Showing Sonic his fallen Resistance, the hedgehog watched as more Mobian soldiers and GUN agents fell victim to being blown away by the Eggman Empire's forces. Chaos smacked a dozen agents, Metal Sonic's V. Maximum Overdrive penetrated the tanks piloted by Mobian soldiers, and the Deadly Six used their individual powers to eliminate their foes.

For once, Sonic the Hedgehog was losing a fight.

"Anything you want to say to me, Sonic?" Crystal Eggman sneered, tightening his grip around Sonic's neck.

Dr. Eggman gasped and slowly walked up to the two combatants. Curious, he walked around them. It was clear they couldn't hear him nor see him.

"Yeah," Sonic coughed, spitting into Eggman's glasses. "As long as one man stands against you, Eggman… you won't lay a _finger_ on this planet."

"Come on, me!" Dr. Eggman whispered. "Kill him! Get it over with!"

Just as the fight was coming to an exciting conclusion, Eggmanland and all of the fighters inside it went away in the blink of an eye. Reality was suddenly restored back to the way it was, which made Dr. Eggman very disappointed. What he saw was pure heaven, the dream that he's always wanted just came true, despite the fact that it was only a mere illusion. Dr. Eggman sighed before picking up the ruby, shaking it side to side. He hoped to bring back his dream, but it didn't look to be returning back anytime soon.

"Hmm?" Dr. Eggman said, scratching his chin. "This may not be a Chaos Emerald, but if it possesses abilities like that, then it must be worth studying! Prepared to be researched, jewel!"

(~)

For the next few hours, Dr. Eggman has kept himself occupied by running a few experiments on the ruby, wanting to see if it can recreate what he just saw in that horrific yet satisfying vision he witnessed. On the third hour of the day, the mad doctor was observing the gem float around in the light blue test tube, it was stuck to a few wires that transferred its data into the computer.

Random schematics of code showed up on screen, giving Dr. Eggman a small bit of info on where the magenta gem comes from.

" _Bah!_ The results are over the place for this… this thing!" Dr. Eggman complained, rolling his eyes. "What could I label this fascinating object?"

"Oh, I got a name!" Cubot said, waving his hand as if he was participating to go up in front of a school classroom. "How about Spooky Sapphire?"

"It's not even blue," Orbot shook his head.

"Precious Stone!"

"Is that game even cannon?"

"My precious!"

"That's from a movie."

"No!" Dr. Eggman raised his finger, getting an idea flowing through his head. "I will call it… The Phantom Ruby!"

"Aw, man!" Cubot moaned. "I was going to say that!"

"Hush!" Orbot scolded his dim-witted friend.

Just before Dr. Eggman could do resume his experiments on the newly named Phantom Ruby, an explosion occurred on the exterior of the Arsenal Pyramid. Dr. Eggman, Orbot, and Cubot turned around and heard another explosion occur on the outside. What could it be? They thought of that question as soon as they looked up at the ceiling, a little cloud of dust fell down on three test tubes. Orbot and Cubot hovered to the security footage and popped up a live video of a fight outside Emerald Hill.

The Jackal Squad were fighting against a few security Badniks that noticed them sneaking into the base. _**(2)**_

"How dare those canines attack me!?" Dr. Eggman hollered. He removed the Phantom Ruby from its testing container. "Just when I'm in the middle of studying this stupid rock! How I wish I more artillery to destroy these idiots!"

Like a genie from a lamp, the Phantom Ruby granted its master wish and generated an army of Badniks; Motobugs, Egg Pawns, Buzz Bombers, Slicers, and Crabmeats. Dr. Eggman was shocked to see that these drones randomly came out of nowhere. "Uh… where did these?... Oh, well, doesn't matter! Robot army! Kill those jackals!"

(~)

"Pierce, I thought you said this place was abandoned!" Finn snarled at his teammate, slicing through three Flappers; flying Badniks that resembled birds. He jumped on top of a green Flapper and jabbed his red sword between its eyes.

"It looked abandoned from a distance!" Pierce replied, dodging gunfire from a set of Egg Fighters. Tempest and Jay took them down with ease. Lance leaped forward and threw his many daggers into the circuits of enemies. "Sorry, guys!"

"Let's take care of these Badniks and get out of here!" Tempest suggested, jumping over a monkey-like robot called Monkey Dude. Monkey Dude whipped out a bomb that resembled a coconut and chucked it right at the female jacket. She roundhouse kicked it back at the mech and watched it explode. "Come on! Let's go!"

"No way, these are just leftover Badniks!" Finn retorted, penetrating through his enemies. "There's no way Dr. Eggman is here! Let's just steal some of his technology and get out of here!"

"I hate to rain on your parade, Mr. Jackal," Dr. Eggman smiled, arrived on his Egg Walker; an Egg Mobile with two legs on each side, holding up the Phantom Ruby. "Oh, who am I kidding? I love to rain on your parade because _you and your band of idiots_ will not get out of here alive! Badnik Horde kill them!"

Finn and the Jackal Squad found themselves piled on with more and more enemies. Slicers threw their boomerang like claws at them, Crabmeats pounded the ground, Motobugs rammed into the, and Egg Robos, Egg Pawns, and Egg Fighters turned the skies yellow with heavy laser fire.

"Move out!" Finn ordered, he and his squad zig-zagged around the lush emerald hills. They slid underneath several enemies and attacked them until they were decimated. Lance and Jay smashed Egg Fighters into the grass, Tempest assisted Pierce in taking down the Flappers, and Finn went right for the kill. "Take care of the robots! I'll handle the fat man!"

"Whoa! Stay back, freak!" Dr. Eggman shouted in worry, he raised the Phantom Ruby into the air. Finn jumped upward and raised his sword above his head. Pointing downward, he went straight for Dr. Eggman.

But instead, he hit the Phantom Ruby.

The rest of the jackals cried out in worry for their leader, as they witnessed the transformation of Emerald Hill to Eggmanland. Finn gasped and looked around. Smoke spewed out of the buildings above, polluting the red sky, the Resistance was getting their rears handed to them by the Eggman Empire, and Crystal Eggman was on the verge of killing Sonic.

"What the heck?" Finn asked in the uttermost shock. "What is this!?"

Before his brain could register such a devastated world, Metal Sonic; Eggman's most prized creation came out of nowhere and tackled the leader, pinning him down against the grass. The Phantom Ruby pulsed once again and returned things to the way they were; Eggmanland was gone and Emerald Hill was back. Metal Sonic pressed his hand against the jackal's face, putting all of his weight on top of him. _**(2s)**_

The rest of the Jackal Squad couldn't help in the slightest because all of them were captured and pinned down by Eggman's forces.

Speaking of the doctor, he jumped off his Egg Walker and walked slowly towards the jackal, he leaned over Metal Sonic's shoulder and watched the jackal's blue and yellow eyes look into his blue glasses.

"Hello," Dr. Eggman greeted with a chuckle. "How do you do?"

Finn growled in response, punching Metal Sonic in the leg. That didn't do anything.

"I don't suppose _you_ know what this is," Dr. Eggman waved the Phantom Ruby in front of Finn's face. "Guess not… why have you come here?"

"Boss!" Jay squealed. "Don't tell him we came here to steal his technology!"

"Darn it, Jay!" Pierce said.

"Seriously!?" Tempest moaned.

"Baka!" Lance rolled his eyes.

"So, you came here to steal my stuff, eh?" Dr. Eggman chuckled again. "Gotta say, I admire your effort in getting past my forces. You and your team fight well in the old style, but tell me, why _my_ technology of all things? Surely, you could have used far more advanced technology like from the Nocturnus Clan or Babylon Garden. But why me?"

"I came here because I want to kill someone who wronged me in the past!" Finn answered. "His name… is Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Dr. Eggman gasped with disbelief. Someone besides him hated Sonic as well? The idea of someone who wasn't a Zeti nor a robot hating Sonic amazed him. He squatted down to face the jackal, stroking his mustache. "So you have a hatred for the hedgehog too, huh?" he asked.

"I used to have a respect for him, but now I have a personal vendetta against him. Something happened years ago that caused me to lose my respect for him."

"Oh, boo hoo," said Metal Sonic. "You poor sap. Let me play a sad song on the world's smallest violin. What should we do with them, Doctor? I suggest we should punish them for having the gall to invade our home!"

Dr. Eggman looked down at the precious gemstone, starting to think about his decision. Part of him wanted to punish the Jackal Squad for interrupting his studies and for wanting to steal his technology, but on the other hand, these warriors fought well against his forces. Not only that, but their leader shared a hatred for Sonic the Hedgehog. Usually when he meets someone to work for him, the person either betrays them to kill Sonic themselves or they become Sonic's friend. He was skeptical that the same thing would happen with this character, but because he had the power of the Phantom Ruby at the palm of his hand. If Finn would get out of his hand, Dr. Eggman could easily torture him with more illusions.

In two to three seconds, he made up his mind.

"Tell you what, good sir," Dr. Eggman said.

"Finn, my name is Finn: The Ultimate Mercenary," said the jackal.

"Well then, Finn… let's cut a deal. I'll let you use a new piece of technology I discovered and in return, you have to help me destroy Sonic the Hedgehog. What do you say, deal?"

"Finn, don't let this crazy man manipulate you!" Tempest shouted. "He just wants to use you for power!"

"The chances of him being serious are 0.000000003%!" Pierce said.

"Kashikoi koto ni, Finn!" Lance warned.

"Anyone smell ham?" Jay asked.

The Ultimate Mercenary was being bombarded with all sorts of warning from his friends, but the deal made by Dr. Eggman made its way into the mixture of voices that replayed on his head. Him and Eggman shared a common hatred for Sonic so it would make sense if the two worked together. But at the same time, Finn didn't think working with Dr. Eggman would be the best idea. After seeing what the Phantom Ruby could do, he wondered what power could lie in such an advanced jewel. He turned to his jackals and gave them a heavy sigh, right before he made his choice.

"I accept your offer," Finn replied.

Metal Sonic stepped off the jackal, allowing him to get up.

Dr. Eggman held out his hand for a handshake. Finn took his hand and returned the handshake.

"Let's do it, Doctor Eggman," Finn smiled evilly. "I will help you change this world."

A new partnership was now declared.

The rest of the Jackal Squad knew that this wasn't going to be pretty.

* * *

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 4**_

 _Dr. Eggman has gained himself a new partner within Finn the Jackal. This is going to end badly. How will this partnership go? I guess we will have to find out when we start to get the real meat and potatoes of the game. Well we're still in the beginning of the story. In other words, two characters will team up with Knuckles to take down a familiar foe in "Chapter 5: Stress Test."_

* * *

 _Lance's Japanese to English Translations_

 _1\. Baka! = Idiot!_

 _2\. Kashikoi koto ni, Finn! = Be smart about this, Finn!_

 _Okay, for those of you that know me, you may have noticed that a certain someone by the name of Classic Sonic (A character I've talked a lot of crap about in my reviews for other Sonic Forces rewrites out there) appeared at the beginning of the chapter. Before any of you kill me, hear me out. After watching many playthroughs of the Sonic Forces game, watching many episodes of TV Shows that have to do with Dimensional Travel, and watching Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse three times. I decided to put Classic Sonic in here. Why? I can't tell you, but I think you'll like my plan._

 _The chapter title is a reference to a lyric in someone's theme song. Can you guess who?_

 _Crystal Eggman is inspired by Hard Light Eggman from the Sonic the Hedgehog Archie Comics. He used that armor to fight against Wendy "Witchcart" Naugus and her brother, Walter Naugus. I figured I would put him in here as a foreshadow to the final battle. But we're too far from that._

 _Pay close attention to the voices in Classic Sonic's head. They'll come into play later._

 _As always. Thank you for reading the chapter. Don't forget to review, fav, and/or follow as it does help me a lot. Be sure to also check out my other Sonic story, Awakened. I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321, signing off!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	5. Stress Test

_**A/N:** Wow, I didn't expect to update this so soon, but hey, before I head back to my studies. I wanted Chapter 5 of this story to come out. I decided to skip Episode: Shadow and jump right to where the story gets to the point. Why? I can't say much, but I do have plans to recreate an Episode: Shadow. Stay turned for that very soon. This chapter mainly has some of the same material as the actual Sonic Forces comic this is based off of, but has a few slight differences. _

_Special thanks to TGN, Infinite's Ruby, TurquoiseTriangle, and Alexandria Prime for leaving a review and telling me what you thought. To TurquoiseTriangle, Yes, the past is coming to the modern times! And to Alexandria Prime. Yep, Classic Sonic makes his debut here. A lot of you were excited to see Classic Sonic and I am excited to be writing him in here. I plan to redeem the classics! Special thanks to BoomShakaLaka107 (That is an awesome username!) and mythicalpalkia (Also an awesome username) for the favs and follows!_

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Quickening of Evil - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(2) Unknown from M.E. - Sonic Adventure OST or Unknown from M.E. - Sonic Adventure 2 OST_**

 ** _(3) Open Your Heart - Sonic Adventure OST or Open Your Heart - Sonic Generations OST_**

 ** _(4) Final Boss (Death Egg Robot: Phase 1) - Sonic Forces OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **Stress Test**

 _ **(1)**_ Two months later, Dr. Eggman paced around his dark, mysterious, yet ominous laboratory in Emerald Hill Zone. He and Finn had spent the last two months studying the Phantom Ruby, the latter got the opportunity to be a "guinea pig" for the Phantom Ruby, meaning that he had the chance to get the magic jewel implanted in his chest. But if he was busy being a test subject for the Phantom Ruby, what did Eggman do with the rest of the Jackal Squad?

Finn knew the answer to that question well. He was well-aware of a dire catastrophe that happened to them a couple weeks after he and Eggman made a deal, but he decided to keep that story to himself, as he figured nobody needed a reminder of what happened.

Dr. Eggman walked up to the test tube that the jackal was in. He couldn't see any of his physical features, all he saw was a more triangular version of the Phantom Ruby attached to a black shadow that was Finn.

The jackal looked up at Eggman with his left yellow eye (the other one was covered by a mask) and shot a wink at his master.

Dr. Eggman returned the wink before beginning a speech he wrote himself. "Sonic, how I hate him,"

Orbot, typing on the computer, rolled his eyes when the doctor spoke, he heard this sort of thing before.

Cubot, scrubbing Finn's test tube, got spooked unlike Orbot.

"And all of that loathing has been focused into this invincible instrument of destruction!" the doctor resumed. "Every defeat, every humiliation at the hedgehog's hands will be returned a _thousandfold_ by my unstoppable creation!" he stormed over to Cubot and pushed him out of the way, staring at the Phantom Ruby.

"This is my dream come true!" he said, "With this invention, I can expand the Eggman Empire across the globe and conquer the world! Eggmanland will finally return and that loathsome hedgehog will be no more! Mwa-hahahahahahahahahaha!"

"Gee, the boss actually means business this time," Orbot worried, hearing that last part of the speech gave him goosebumps.

"Uh-huh," Cubot nodded in agreement. "This doesn't look so good."

"Orbot, Cubot, ready the Egg Mobile!" Dr. Eggman ordered his lackeys. "Finn and I are going to visit an old friend, we need one more person to make my dream come true. Now, open the test tube! I want to see my creation come to life!"

Orbot and Cubot saluted their boss before the former pulled a red lever. All of the blue liquid inside the cylinder washed down the drain as quickly as it could, the wires attached to the jackal unplugged themselves from his body. The door open with a slight hiss, very slowly, it cracked open.

The jackal lowered his foot down onto the ground before stepping out of the tube, closing the door behind him.

He looked a lot different than he did two months ago. The only significant difference was that his face was covered by a mask. The mask he wore was a silver-colored piece with large ears that had large black and white patterns on the inside. His right ear was black with white circular patterns whereas the other ear was vice versa. While his left eye was visible through a red visor, his other eye was covered by a black lightning bolt shaped piece, similar to an eye-patch. It was connected to the mask's right ear.

The newly reborn Finn looked up at his master, clenching his black gloves. "Hello, Doctor."

"How do you feel, Finn?" Dr. Eggman asked. Orbot and Cubot hovered beside him.

"I feel… I feel great, Doctor! I've never felt better!"

"Excellent! Now, come along! Let's go to Angel Island! We have someone we need to get for our Empire!"

"Just a minute, Doctor… before we go, I feel I should acknowledge that I will no longer go by the name of Finn."

"Oh, well, what name would you like to be called then?"

"The world shall now know me as… _**Infinite!**_ "

Cubot tapped Orbot on the shoulder and whispered to him. "Wow, talk about edgy."

"Very well then, Infinite," Dr. Eggman said. "Let us go change this world and make our dreams come true!" _**(1s)**_

(~)

Angel Island. _**(2)**_

What once was part of the Mystic Ruins was now one of the most beautiful landmarks in all of the planet Mobius. It was a lush and beautiful land that has floated in the sky for ages and ages, filled to the rim with greenery that any explorer and/or archeologist kill to just go up there.

One might say that they would envy someone who would get a chance to see the place. Heck, they would hate them if they were offered to live there.

Speaking of living there, there was one person who dedicated his life to being on that island, and that someone was Sonic's best friend/rival: Knuckles the Echidna.

The red echidna was sitting on Shrine Isle, a giant shrine will large pillars of the same rock forming a complete circle, none of them were structured flawlessly with some cracks running down the edges, and holes were spotted in various parts, but they were intact, nonetheless.

But in the hub of It all was the most powerful piece of raw energy on the face of the planet; a giant green gemstone known as the Master Emerald. It was beautiful, bright, and very green.

Knuckles dedicated his life to keeping this emerald safe because it's the only thing keeping this island afloat. He smiled at the gem and rested his head against it, folding his arms into his chest. It had been two months since his Extreme Gear race at the World Grand Prix aka the time he got the beat the snot out of a bunch of no good jackals. He was happy to be away from it all for two months. Just kicking back and relaxing was all he needed, and there was nothing he wouldn't do to change such a peaceful day.

A gentle spring breeze stroked his fur.

 _Now, this is the life,_ he mused to himself, resting against the Master Emerald. _As much as I enjoy a good treasure hunt, nothing can beat the peace and quiet of Angel Island… come to think of it, it's been a while since I've been roped into another one of Sonic's adventures. It's only been like what, two months since that jackal attack in Sand Ruins? Gosh, it felt like yesterday where that Finn guy set that landmine in the track. I really should go on another adventure sometime, but hey, I swore to protect the Master Emerald and_ _ **that**_ _is what I'm going to do. Nothing can ruin this peaceful day. **(2s)**_

Jinxing himself, the dark circle formed around his body. Was the sky suddenly going dark?

He made a small noise before looking upward, the sun was still shining. He wondered what the black circle was until he heard two shrill voices, both male and female, call from the sky. Two bodies suddenly rained down.

"What the fudge?" he asked. The two bodies suddenly fell right smack on top of him. A cloud of grey smoke blew into the air from the impact. A tender breeze brushed the smoke away, showing the two bodies that dogpiled Knuckles.

The guardian of the Master Emerald grunted and turned, rolling on his stomach. Something was crushing was back, but what?

His answer came to him as soon as he heard the voices say each other's names.

"Ow, Blaze," said one voice. "I think you landed on my back."

"Sorry, Silver" said the other voice.

Knuckles recognized the voices of the people that were currently sitting on his back. "Wait a minute."

He turned over his shoulder and saw that the people that landed on his back were none other than Silver the Hedgehog: A telekinetic hedgehog from the future and Blaze the Cat: a pyrokinetic princess from the Sol Dimension. The two of them moaned and groaned, unaware they landed on the echidna.

"Silver, Blaze?" Knuckles asked, pushing the two off of him. Getting back on his feet, he brushed his legs off. "Is that you?"

Silver woke up and rubbed his head, grabbing Blaze's hand, helping her up. "Knuckles! Just the man we wanted to see!"

"We're sorry to intrude," Blaze said kindly. "We know how much you hate to be disturbed."

"What are you two doing here?" Knuckles asked. "It's not like you two to drop in for random visits. And how did you find my island?"

"Knuckles, that's not important!" Silver pleaded. "We got trouble!"

"Silver, I'm gonna ask you again. _How did you find my island!?_ "

"Knuckles, please!"

"Listen to me, Knuckles," Blaze said softly. "I know you and I don't know each other that well, but I happened to run into Silver by chance when he showed me an ancient map from it future which showed the location of Angel Island. We're here to protect you and the Master Emerald. We're not here to steal it."

"Wait, is the Master Emerald in danger!?" Knuckles growled, raising his fists. "You two probably led whoever's going to steal it right to this island!"

"N-no, we didn't!" Silver stuttered. "Knuckles, listen to me. We don't have a lot of time! I've come back with a dire warning from the future! Dr. Eggman has discovered something that's going to help him take over the world!"

"How do I know this isn't a sick joke?" Knuckles asked, his fists were still raised.

"Because _I_ sensed a disturbance within the Sol Emeralds," Blaze explained, she created a ring of fire around herself, showing all seven Sol Emeralds to the echidna. "I couldn't shake the feeling that a great disaster will soon befall on this dimension."

A maniacal voice suddenly spoke from the side. "Correct you are, Ms. Blaze," it was Dr. Eggman, he was riding in his Egg Mobile. Infinite was levitating next to him. "But I wouldn't call this change a disaster, I would call… a _rebirth._ "

"Dr. Eggman!" Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze shouted at the same time.

"It's nice to see you again, Dear Blaze. And of course, Knuckles and Silver."

"What are you doing here?"

"Can a man just pay visit to his favorite echidna?"

"No, he can't! I know what you're trying to do, Eggman. I'm not going to let you take the Master Emerald!"

"Don't get your undies in a bunch, Knuckles! I'm not here for that silly little gem! I have a far superior power! One that's capable of doing _this!_ "

"Take this!" Infinite snapped his fingers. The Phantom Ruby pulsed a red wave of energy around Angel Island. Knuckles, Blaze, and Silver covered their eyes, the sound of distortion rang in their ears. They covered them as well.

When the light cleared. Dr. Eggman and Infinite were gone.

"What!? Where'd they go!?" Knuckles inquired, running a few feet forward. "He and that wolf just disappeared!"

"Actually, that was a jackal," Silver kindly corrected him.

"I don't care what he is! What did he do!?" Knuckles said, rushing over to Silver and shaking his shoulders.

"Knuckles, Silver!" Blaze called, pointing to something in the distance. "Look!"

The echidna and the telekinetic turned to where the cat was facing and gasped.

Angel Island was no more. Well, it was, but it looked different than it usually did. It was a lot bigger and a lot more populated than it was before. Tall buildings stood out of place against the trees and many echidnas were walking around the village. They were farming, carrying around buckets of water, and training to fight with their spears. The three heroes were trapped in the original settlement of the Knuckles Clan: Knuckles' ancient ancestors.

The descendant of the echidnas gasped with shock. How could his ancestors be alive? Chaos killed them 4,000 years ago. How can this be?

"This is… this is Chief Pachacamac village!" he said. "We traveled back in time!"

"This must have been a result of that jackal's power!" Blaze commented.

A horn suddenly blew its obnoxious noise into the air. A random echidna has spotted the trio in the distance. "Intruders! We have intruders on the shrine!" he shouted.

A whole army of echidnas raced up the stairs of Shrine Isle. Before the heroes can retaliate, they found themselves captured and brought down the stairs by the soldiers. Their arms were in the clutches of the Knuckles Clan. Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze were about to fight back against them before they found themselves coming face to face with the leader of the clan. Knuckles' war hungry ancestor himself; Chief Pachacamac. The mighty echidna sneered over his descendant's face, curious as to why the echidna was as young as he looked and why he had two other friends (who obviously weren't echidnas) by his side.

"Who are you?" Chief Pachacamac scowled. He demanded an answer.

"Uh," Knuckles replied with a nervous sigh. "This is going to sound crazy, but I'm your descendant."

"What!?" Pachacamac said in astonishment. "Descendant!? How is that possible!? We're not dead!"

"Well," Knuckles rolled his eyes. "It's kind of a long story. You see- "

"By the mother of the Nocturnus Clan! Why do the males have no clothes!?"

Silver, Blaze, and Knuckles stared at Pachacamac awkwardly. How would someone respond to that?

"The female, despite not wearing our desired attire, is the only one that has clothing!" Pachacamac shouted. "Why do you not wear our clothing? Who are you people!?"

"If you would just shut up and let me explain, I will tell you- "

"Sir!" shouted an echidna. "Something's happening on the shrine!" _**(3)**_

The leader of the clan halted his rant and looked towards the shrine. The God of Destruction: Chaos, was standing on the very top. He looked angry and wanted to fight something. He rushed down the steps with his claws raised in the air.

"Chaos? What's he doing!?" Knuckles shouted in query.

"This is your doing, you waste of life!" Pachacamac insulted his descendant, raising his spear in the air. "Knuckles Clan, kill Chaos!"

"Wait! Don't!"

The Knuckles Clan didn't listen to the plea of the Master Emerald's guardian, as they grabbed their weapons and charged at the water god. Little did they know, Chaos was a powerful God, so he wiped them out with pure ease. He grabbed the feet of two soldiers and flung them in the air. Slamming them on top of the other echidnas, Chaos waved them around and knocked them into the village's apple cart, flinging all the apples everywhere.

A clan member snuck behind Chaos and prepared to launch an ambush, but Chaos was smart enough to know when someone was trying to surprise him. So, as a counterattack, he extended his arm over his shoulder and wrapped his three fingers around the echidna.

He chucked him into the other echidnas and continued fighting.

"W-who is that!?" Silver asked in worry, watching as Chaos attacked more echidnas.

"That's Chaos: The God of Destruction," Knuckles replied. "He attacked Station Square a while back when Eggman enslaved him. Since then, he's been living with my _nicer_ ancestor, Tikal. I forgot he has a bit of a temper, but if I calm him down, I could get him to stop. Pachacamac, you have to let us go! I can calm him down!"

"You, a mere intruder, stop a water god?" Pachacamac chuckled. "Ha! Don't make me laugh! My clan doesn't need your help! I can handle him just fine!"

He rallied the troops together and charged at Chaos with full speed.

"Hey, let us go!" Knuckles shouted at the henchman, they were still holding his arms. "We have to help out!"

The henchmen laughed at Knuckles' comment.

Silver and Blaze shared a glance before they decided to take matters into their own hands. The former lifted up his captors with his psychokinesis whereas the latter showed them the true power of the flames; he blasted them with flames that sent them flying into a building.

They freed Knuckles by knocking his enemies out cold.

"Thanks, guys!" Knuckles smiled. He, Silver, and Blaze looked and saw that Chaos and the Knuckles Clan were still running for one another. The trio of heroes chased after the Knuckles Clan, not wanting them to risk getting killed by Chaos… again.

But suddenly, Chaos stopped in his tracks and lifted his hand up, extending his fingers. Chief Pachacamac and his men stopped in front of Chaos' palm, obeying his command.

Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze stopped as well. Surprised that people that hated Chaos halted before him.

Chaos then turned his hand around, pointing at the three heroes. He ordered them to attack them. Him, Pachacamac, and the Knuckles Clan began dashing towards the trio, all of them (except Chaos) screamed a loud battle cry.

"Did he just order them to attack us?" Blaze asked.

"How did he do that!?" Knuckles inquired, flabbergasted.

"No time for answers now, guys!" Silver said, his hand glowing a cyan glow. "Let's take them down and then I'll explain what's going on."

Without further delay, Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze lunged into battle.

Knuckles slammed the ground with his fists and caused a small earthquake in the ground, sending a red shock wave to the Knuckles Clan, blowing them away. He quickly saw more enemies running straight at him. As a solution to the problem, he took an apple cart that was beside him and tripped it over. The soldiers slid on the apples and fell down. Knuckles leaped over them and punched another guy in the chest, firing a Spiral Upper; a punch that shot Knuckles directly in the air with a fist full of fire, up someone's jaw.

Blaze flew around with her flames and waved a ring of fire around herself, shielding her body from the spears that flew right at her. She burned them with ease and shot flames at the echidnas. One of them was smart enough to come at her from behind, wrapping his beat meaty arms around her body.

She counteracted this by blasting backward, smacking the minion into a building wall. She volley kicked him right through the wooden walls.

Silver, a cyan aura was around his body, boosted through an army of clansmen. Lifting his hands, he picked up a few vegetables that were growing in the farms. Chucking corn, carrots, and other veggies into the Knuckles Clan, Knuckles and Blaze worked together to take them down.

The teamwork of the heroes came to an end as soon as Pachacamac slammed the ground with his spear, failing to impale any of the heroes.

"First, you intrude my village bare naked and now you attack my people! Prepare to die, you trio of muskrats!" Pachacamac said, swiping his spear at Knuckles. His descendant dodged every move he made. Silver and Blaze kicked the chief in the face before Knuckles Spiral Uppered his face to finish the job. Before he can accept defeat, he said one last thing with an evil chuckle. " _ **Long Live the Eggman Empire**_."

"Shut up!" Knuckles pounded his fist into his ancestor's face.

Pachacamac was defeated.

Chaos was left.

"Chaos, it's me, Knuckles! Snap out of it!"

Chaos ignored his words and used violence as his response.

Knuckles swatted at Chaos, but due to the god's supernatural abilities, he dodged the attack. He then slammed a tidal wave on top of Knuckles' body. The echidna fired a Spiral Upper in hopes of landing a good hit, but it was Chaos who landed the hit instead.

Tumbling across the ground, Knuckles coughed up some water that was in his lungs. Wiping his face, he turned to the water creature and saw him coming back for more.

But Silver came in to stop him. "I got you covered, Knuckles!"

The hedgehog lifted his hands up and trapped Chaos in a cyan bubble, giving Blaze the opportunity to fire an armada of flames on top of Chaos. Just as things were starting to look up for the heroes, Chaos miraculously teleported out of the wave of fire.

"What the?" Blaze asked, cocking an eyebrow above her head.

Chaos appeared right behind both Blaze and Silver, smacking them both into Knuckles with his tentacle.

The trio got up and brushed themselves off.

"That's a new trick," Knuckles said. "Guys, we're gonna need a plan for this!"

"Right!" Silver nodded in agreement.

"How do we apprehend him?" Blaze asked.

"Get me a close shot of his brain!" Knuckles replied, slapping his fists together.

Chaos transformed into a pool of water and flowed forward, looking for another round against the three Freedom Fighters.

Knuckles raised his fist.

Silver lit his hands with a cyan light.

Blaze ignited the power of her flames.

" _NOW!_ " Knuckles called.

Silver swooped underneath Chaos, ending up on the other side of him. He clapped his hands together and trapped the god inside a bright-colored state of suspended animation. Blaze pressed her knuckles together and showered Chaos in a nothing but fire, blinding him, and preventing him from tracking Knuckles.

Speaking of the echidna, Knuckles jumped over Blaze and performed a move he liked to call the Maximum Heat Knuckles Attack; a combat technique where he unleashed a chain of punches onto the God of Destruction. Just like Sonic's Light Speed Attack, Knuckles left a glowing trail behind him with small purple orbs when blasting through Chaos.

He finally finished things off.

But in the blink of an eye, Chaos teleported away. _**(3s)**_

"Huh!?" Knuckles gasped. He, Silver, and Blaze ran forward and looked around the forest. The village and the unconscious Knuckles Clansmen evaporated. Magenta sparks made them glitch out of existence. "Did they just disappear?"

Angel Island was back to its usual state.

"This must be linked to that new power Eggman used to destroy your future, Silver," Blaze said.

"Come again?" Knuckles raised an eyebrow.

" _Something_ happens in this time that brings the world to ruin!" Silver said, finally explaining the whole story to Knuckles. "But the historical records are sparse or make no sense. The only thing that _does_ make sense is that Eggman obtains a new power to defeat Sonic. There were also images of an Atomic Bomb impacting a city in Green Hill called Freedom Heights. I came to Blaze's world to seek shelter until Dr. Eggman Nega came and ambushed us! She took us back to your world using the Sol Emeralds. In other words, she took me back here to help me stop what happens to the future."

Knuckles placed a finger on his chin, thinking about what Silver just said. Since he and Blaze landed her on Angel Island, he figured he could have played an important role in the story of Eggman's coup d'état. "And you two came to me." he said. "I wouldn't have known about anything on the surface until it was too late. My involvement must be crucial to saving the world… so, I'm going to be very involved! Whatever's going on, I'm going to lead a Resistance against it! Let's go!"

Silver and Blaze exchanged some looks before giving some awkward smiles to the determined Resistance leader.

"T-that's okay, Knuckles," Blaze chuckled.

"I don't know if all that's necessary," Silver winked. "But I'm glad you're coming to help!"

Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze jumped off the island. _**(4)**_

All of them glided across the skies.

"Come on, guys!" Knuckles said. "We need to get to Freedom Heights before it's too late!"

Above the skies, Dr. Eggman and Infinite, who were hiding in plain sight, laughed with each other at the heroes' efforts to save the world.

"The test is complete, Infinite," Dr. Eggman said, rubbing his hands together. "Our plan is set. Let's get to Freedom Heights and put our plan in motion!"

"Finally," Infinite smiled underneath his mask. The ripples on his Phantom Ruby spun around. "Sonic the Hedgehog won't see this coming! Look out, blue rat! You'll never survive against the power of the _Phantom Ruby!_ Mwa-hahahahahahahahahaha!" _**(4s)**_

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 5**_

* * *

 _The end is near... Dr. Eggman and Infinite are ready to put their plan into action. Can Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze get to Freedom Heights in time or will Sonic the Hedgehog have to deal with it himself? I guess we will have to find out when Eggman's invasion begins in "Chapter 6: When Heroes Fall."_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _Some of Eggman's dialogue at the beginning is recycled from the actual game, but I did add a few sentences and scenes in there to make it more original. I could have done something better, but oh well._

 _Blaze the Cat and Silver the Hedgehog make their debut in this chapter. There will be chapter showcasing how they got to the past. Since Blaze wasn't in the actual game (Yet, she's in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle for mobile phones) I wanted to add her in here because I wanted to give her a role in this story. I have some stuff planned for her. Her entrance was inspired by "Revengeful Resistance" by TheGameNguyener. Go check out his story if you're interested. It's one of my favorites!_

 _A battle with the Knuckles Clan was something I was hoping in that prequel comic book (Sonic Forces: Stress Test) but sadly, we never got too it because Silver and Knuckles were busy fighting Phantom Clone Chaos. That does suck. So, I wanted to give a scene where Chief Pachacamac gets into a fight with Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze._

 _Special thanks to Infinite's Ruby for help with the dialogue and she gave me help on the name of the city in Green Hill Zone, Freedom Heights._

 _As usual, don't forget to leave a favorite and a follow on this story if you're interested in seeing it continue. You can also review a lot since it does help out a lot. Tell your friends about this if you want to. Spread the word! I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 signing off. Peace out, web-heads!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	6. The Atom Bomb

_**A/N:** Sorry about the long wait for this story's update. I had a lot of ideas in my head for my other Sonic story, Awakened, so I wanted to write them down first. But do not worry, I did not forget about this story, so I will be updating as quickly as I can. Special thanks to TGN, Infinite's Ruby, SharpDragonKlaw, Alexandria Prime, and Ways for their reviews. And special thanks to all of those who have favorited and followed this story. Thank you all for being patient._

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Tornado Time (Believe in Myself Remix) - Sonic Lost World OST_**

 ** _(2) Egg Dragoon - Sonic Unleashed OST OR Sonic Generations OST_**

 ** _(3) Team Chaotix (Team Chaotix's Theme Song) - Sonic Heroes OST_**

 ** _(4) Infinite Boss (Second Bout) - Sonic Forces OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **The Atom Bomb**

 ** _(1)_** "Excuse me! Pardon me! Sorry, coming through!" Tails shouted, as he pushed through a few humans that were peacefully walking down the street. Using his twin tails as propellers, he flew through the crowd of people that were peacefully walking through a city in Green Hill known as Freedom Heights: Home to many tourist attractions such as the Red Gate Bridge and Splash Highway.

Residents that were lucky to live in such a beautiful urban area like this mainly settled in two of the most popular towns; Sunset Heights and Park Avenue.

Nobody really settled in Ghost Town. Why? Because the name gave them goosebumps, making them skeptical about living in a place like that one.

Freedom Heights was located somewhere in Green Hill Zone. Not much is known about when the city was built, but it was home to a lot of people who couldn't seek shelter in other cities like Station Square, Westopolis, Central City, etc.

Many humans and Mobians ducked their heads and walked on by, looking up and seeing Miles "Tails" Prower fly over their heads, a dark blue flag with a picture of one of his favorite music artists of all time; Samba de Amigo. He flew around a few buildings and took to the skies, looking over his shoulder, seeing if there was any sign of the person chasing him.

"He's close!" he said, chuckling. "I know he's close! I can smell him!... wait, nah, that's the sushi place!"

In the streets below, Sonic the Hedgehog leaped above the crowd and landed against the tiles that made up the ground, running through the streets faster than the speed of sound. He looked up and saw Tails trying to get away from him, but why? Was Tails in trouble?

Sonic knew the answer and chuckled. "The kid's gotten faster!" he said, drifting around the corner, almost bumping into someone with a fancy suit on.

"He's seen me!" Tails shouted. "I don't know if I'll make it!"

Sonic ran up the walls of a building and jumped from roof to roof like a ninja. He slid underneath pipes and pushed himself off of the walls, spih dashing into the gleaming sunset. He loomed a shadow over Tails, which made the fox nervous. Tails turned around, grasping the flag in his hands. Letting out a little screech, he moved out of the way and watched Sonic land on a flagpole.

"Nice dodge!" Sonic smiled, climbing up a set of balconies to get to the top of a building. "But that's not gonna stop me, kid!"

Tails flew over a set of twelve buildings before he made it to Sunset Heights, he was shooting through the cloudless sky above him, hoping he'd make it to the tallest skyscraper there before it was too late. But just as he landed on one of the buildings for a quick rest, he felt the wind brush against his fur.

Sonic was close.

He was about to lose… a game of capture the flag.

"Base, base!" Tails laughed with both excitement and fear, making a run for the sky scraper. Before he can use his only resort; his flying abilities, to get to the top. Sonic jumped from behind and tackled the two-tailed kit, tickling him until they both fell on the rooftop.

Sonic and Tails landed on their backs, the former still tickled the latter's stomach. Tails began laughing his head off, tears of joy flooded down his furry white cheeks like a waterfall. Slamming his fists against the stone roof, he continued laughing because his older brother wouldn't stop tickling him.

"H-hey! S-stop, S-Sonic! Hahahahahaha!" Tails laughed so hard, his words couldn't come out as normal as he wanted them to. He then dropped the flag. "S-s-stop tickling me! Hahahahahaha! Sonic, stop! The flag has been captured!"

"Barely!" Sonic laughed, he stopped tickling his little brother, finally giving him a chance to breathe. Tails leaned upward and wiped a tear off his ocean blue eyes, Sonic picked up the flag and held it in his hands. "Best three out of five? I'll hide it this time."

Tails snickered before he got back up on his feet. "How about somewhere less obvious?"

"Obvious?" Sonic grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, someplace that isn't the chili dog place or under your bed in my house," Tails replied, shrugging his shoulders. He watched Sonic roll his eyes and gave a dismissive sound.

"Oh, come on, you know I don't hide it in obvious spots like that, Tails," Sonic said, smirking and twirling the flag around. "Besides, I think I found a place you'd never think to look for the flag this time."

Tails stroked his chin, giving his reply. "Let me guess, it is at that new chili dog emporium that just opened up?"

Sonic shrugged. "I cannot confirm nor deny that fact."

The brothers shared a laugh before they heard somebody speak in a low, dark, depressed, emo-like voice. They raised their eyebrows and turned to the left, that someone was Clay the Rabbit. _**(1s)**_

He was standing near the ledge of the roof, monologuing. "Chili dogs… I remember what they tasted like in the days of peace. So juicy, so tender, _so zesty!_ That was back in the day, the day before the world was overrun… _overrun with EVIL!_ " Clay said, making funny anime faces and movements. "Freedom Heights was once a peaceful place before it all ended. Before _he_ took over!... the name of the villain was… Captain Volcano Wonder Pants! He's evil, a true villain! I, Clay the Rabbit, have been called on by the mighty Gods above to stop him, so that Freedom Heights can safely eat chili dogs again!"

Tails was confused, his whispered to Sonic. "What the heck is he doing?"

"I don't know, but watch this," Sonic chuckled. He stood next to the rabbit and mocked his dark tone. "Look at how those people walk down the streets, they're walking with depression! And look at how the clear sky looks in the sunset, so _dark! So edgy!_ And just look at how that guy is eating a bowl of cereal. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch! So satisfying!"

Tails chuckled before pure laughter took him over. To which Sonic joined in.

Clay rolled his eyes and chuckled, amused Sonic would mock a true superhero like him. "Ha-ha, very funny, Sonic. But _I_ would've commented on the fact that guy was using a wooden spoon. Now, that's really depressing."

"What are you doing, Clay?" Sonic asked, wiping a tear from his eye.

"I'm practicing my superhero's monologue!" Clay replied. "If I'm going to be the hero of this city, I have to learn to be dark like the night!"

"Where are your friends at?" Tails inquired.

"They're in Spagonia University," Clay said.

"Oh, so they're in college?" Tails asked. "That's cool!"

"How come you're not in school?" Sonic teased, gently punching the rabbit's arm. "Cause you look like you need a class in superhero-ology… is that even a word?"

"Well, you see, I… I… well, um…" the rabbit's voice got lower, nervous sweat went down his head. He scratched his head, rubbed his ears, and tapped his foot. He didn't know what response to give to Sonic without sounding like an idiot. "It's uh… it's complicated."

"Complicated how?" Tails said, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh…. It's because of…. Um…. It's just that, I- "

"Hold that thought for a minute, Clay," Sonic said, his ears flickered because he heard a noise in the distance. "Tails, do you hear that?"

"Hear what, Sonic?" Tails inquired, shrugging his shoulders.

"Listen for a second," Sonic replied. Tails' ears began to flicker, so did Clay's. What was going on? What were they listening to?

The answer quickly came to them as soon as they realized that they weren't the only ones who heard the noise. Several Mobians sitting by the Café' looked up and saw the sunset turn black; the sky was going dark. Many humans stopped playing on their cell phones and turned their eyes upward, stunned at the object that was coming toward them.

It was the noise of a rocket engine, a ridiculously loud one.

The object that flew through the air also resembled that of a rocket. But it was a lot more bulky and the bottom of the rocket was facing downward. Sonic and Tails decided to see what was going on, as they both nodded to each other and jumped off the building, leaving Clay all by himself.

They ran down the streets and made a sharp right.

"Hey, guys!" Clay shouted. "Wait for me!"

Clay climbed down to the balconies below him, tripping over the railing and landing on the sidewalk on accident. "Ow, my butt!"

* * *

Sonic and Tails ran down the streets of Sunset Heights, watching the mysterious rocket fly slowly towards the surface. They wondered what it was.

"What is that?" Sonic asked.

Tails took out his Miles Electric and scanned the object. "I'm detecting multiple signs of Atomic Energy, I hope this isn't what I think it is."

The rocket suddenly landed right in the middle of the street, the bottom faced downwards. All of the systems suddenly stopped. Sonic and Tails halted before the giant item before looking up, seeing what it truly is.

It was an Atomic Bomb.

A silver-colored explosive with Dr. Eggman's logo embedded somewhere on the front, a giant black screen sat below the logo. The bottom edges of the bomb were black and yellow, a few Eggman logos were painted on there too. And last, but not least, the very tip of the bomb was colored magenta.

"Eggman!?" Sonic said, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. Suddenly, he smirked. "Doesn't he know it's very rude to leave his garbage lying around?"

"T-this is an Atomic Bomb!?" Tails said, petrified. "Sonic, do you know how much deadly energy is put into this thing!"

"How much?" Sonic asked.

" _ **A LOT!**_ " Tails replied with a worried shout. "We have to diffuse it before- "

Sonic looked up and saw another object heading for Tails, this time it was a person rather than a bomb. "Tails, look out!"

Pushing the fox out of the way, Sonic and Tails rolled across the ground. The figure slammed his fist against the ground, creating a wave of fire around him. Both Freedom Fighters gasped and evaded the ring of fire. Landing on the ground, they saw the identity of the mysterious figure.

To their surprise, it was Zavok: Leader of the Deadly Six.

"Zavok?" Sonic asked, rubbing his head. "Didn't you burn in a lava pit or something?"

"We meet again, Sonic," Zavok replied, getting up from his stance. "Of course you'd assume by falling into a pit of lava, I would meet my end. I somehow survived, but my family and I have been severely injured because of your ruthless actions! I'm here to extract my revenge on you, Blue Rat!" _**(2)**_

Zavok ran up to Sonic and Tails and performed the same attack he did before, only the two Freedom Fighters dodged the attack again. Tails whipped out his Arm Cannon, transforming it into its wrecking ball chain form while Sonic skidded across the ground. Before he could make a move, he heard a rocket engine from behind.

"Now what?" he asked before turning around. Three projectiles were heading for him.

"Look out, Sonic!" Tails smacked Zavok with his twin-tails before aiming his Arm Cannon at the missiles, shooting all of them down with ease. The shooter emerged from the smoke, boosting right for Sonic.

The blue blur leaped upward and volley kicked the shooter in the back of his head, knocking him into the ground. The figure got up on his feet and landed right next to Zavok, revealing himself to his enemies. The figure… was Metal Sonic.

"Zavok and Metal teaming up?" Sonic raised his eyebrow. "That's something you'd see in a comic book right?"

"Your time has come to and end, my loathsome copy!" Metal Sonic reached behind him and took out a small black remote, a red button with the Eggman Empire logo was on the very center of the button. "Dr. Eggman wants his last game to go out with a bang!"

The robotic doppelganger pressed his pointer finger against the button, activating the black screen on the Atomic Bomb. Written in red-colored words were numbers, a timer set for twenty minutes was set on the bomb. They started decreasing slowly.

 _20:00_

 _19:59_

 _19:58_

 _19:57_

Sonic and Tails gasped with worry.

"Clock's ticking, Rodent!" Zavok chuckled.

"Hey, Tails, let's take these jokers down, then you and I will diffuse the bomb, got it?" Sonic said.

"Let's do it to it!" Tails nodded in agreement, reloading his cannon.

It was at that moment where Sonic and Tails went for their opponents. Zavok and Metal did the same thing. Both hedgehogs homed in on one another whereas the buff Zeti and the bright-minded kit went toe-to-toe. The former lifted his fist into the air before slamming it into the fox's face, unaware that the kit deflected the attack with his wrecking ball chain. Tails whipped his weapon around before smacking the leader of the Deadly Six hard across his jaw. Zavok fired back, however, by swiping Tails' feet with his own foot. The fox landed against the tiles before pushing himself backward, avoiding being burned to a crisp by Zavok's fire breath. Tails lunged his chain up Zavok's chin, delivering a powerful uppercut.

The Zeti countered by slamming the ground, causing Tails to be blown away by a wave of red energy.

Zavok then clapped his hands together and aimed his hands right at Tails, shooting massive balls of turquoise energy.

Tails ducked, rolled, and evaded the attacks. He soon shot a yellow blast of electrical energy at the monster, missing him entirely.

"You fight well, young one," Zavok grinned. "You were so useless back on your planet. What has happened since then?"

Tails cocked his weapon and shot a powerful blast of energy at Zavok's chest. "I grew up!" he snarled.

While their fight continued, Sonic and Metal Sonic were running up the walls of the buildings that surrounded them, scaring the heck out of anyone who was inside their apartments. The two hedgehogs eyeballed each other before they leaped off the bright colored apartment complex. Metal Sonic suddenly grabbed Sonic around his neck, but the real hedgehog kicked his faker up the chin before punching him in the face.

It then took one spin dash to send Metal Sonic flying into a wall, a pile of rubble landed on top of him.

Sonic went in for a second attack, but Metal's Black Shield prevented him from doing so.

Bouncing back, Sonic skidded across the ground before he heard Zavok huff and puff, he was coming up on his six o'clock. The hedgehog jumped back, landed on his hands, and flip kicked Zavok in the nose. Tails flew in and delivered a heavy punch.

Metal Sonic began charged at both heroes, but Tails pushed Sonic out of the way and shot him down with his Arm Cannon. Sonic fired a punch against Zavok before he fist bumped Tails. Unfortunately, Zavok grabbed both Freedom Fighters, smacked them against each other, and chucked them over his shoulder.

Metal Sonic boosted right into them, sending them crashing through a store's window thanks to a homing attack.

Thankfully, Sonic and Tails jumped out of the store and continued fighting.

Clay the Rabbit eventually made it to the scene, watching the fight ensue. "Oh, good! I made it just in time!"

Sonic and Tails grabbed each other's hands and tucked into a ball, performing one of their signature moves; the Rolling Combo. The two of them homed in on Zavok and Metal Sonic before they untucked, Tails blasted them away with yellow orbs of electricity.

"Oh, that is so cool! I gotta commentate over that in a dark voice!" Clay smiled, hiding behind a stop sign. He cleared his throat, preparing to do… well, that was already explained. "The city is under attack, two villains; Metal Sonic and… that turtle guy from those plumber games have activated a bomb, set to go off in nineteen minutes and thirty seconds."

He was right, the timer was in its nineteen minute and thirty second mark.

 _19:30_

 _19:29_

 _19:28_

He continued commenting on the battle. "The Mighty Clay's trusted sidekicks, Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower are keeping the villains at bay while their boss, me, sits here and watches them fight." Clay cracked his fingers, tightened his red gloves, and tapped his silver Mega Drive shoes against the ground. "The Mighty Clay gets into position, waiting for his target."

Suddenly, ar army of Badniks swarmed the area. Egg Fighters, Buzz Bombers, and Motobugs surrounded Sonic and Tails.

"And suddenly, there's robots." Clay said.

Egg Fighters aimed their missiles at Sonic, firing all of them at once.

Tails shot half of them down with his Arm Cannon, but the rest of them impacted the ground, blinding both Sonic and Tails in smoke. A couple of pedestrians exited their apartments and workplaces to get out of fight, but they found themselves cornered by enemies. Metal Sonic and Zavok retreated to the top of a building, giving themselves a small chance to rest.

"Tails, get the villagers out of here!" Sonic homing attacked three Buzz Bombers before he was suddenly punched by an Egg Fighter. "I'll take these heaps of scrap metal down!"

"Not to worry, Sonic!" Tails replied, blasting yellow energy balls at the Motobugs. One of them shot a missile at the fox. To which he deflected it by smacking it to the side, it hit the ground.

He flew to the villagers in the area and gathered them together. _**(2s)**_

Suddenly, an Egg Hammer; a giant purple Badnik with a hammer the size of a mountain thwarted Tails from continuing. Tails halted the villagers so he could reload his cannon. Just as he was about to fight back, fuschia, pink, green, and bumblebee colored balls came in and spun right into the Egg Hammer's chest. _**(3)**_

They were Amy Rose, Espio the Chameleon, Vector the Crocodile, and Charmy Bee.

Team Chaotix landed on the ground, fending off the Badniks.

Amy waved her hammer in the air, creating a pink tornado that sent bad guys flying through the air.

Tails guided the residents to the a bridge that neighbored Sunset Heights; Sunset Bridge, a bridge that would take them to the next town over; Viaduct Valley.

"This way, everyone! This way!" Tails ordered everyone to head in that direction, he shot more robots down. "Go, go, go!"

Amy slammed the ground and stood back-to-back with Tails. "Hey, Tails, how's it going?"

"Not too shabby, Amy," Tails replied, attacking more enemies. "Sonic and I were just playing a humble game of capture the flag when suddenly… well, I think this situation explains itself."

Team Chaotix ran to the duo, using their martial arts to combat an army of Egg Fighters.

"What's with the giant bomb in the middle of the city?" Espio asked, roundhouse kicking a Badnik.

Vector snapped an Egg Fighter's arm off with his teeth, smashing the robot's insides with his fists. "Yeah, I don't remember that being there."

Sonic the Hedgehog boosted right into a streak of mindless drones. "It's all Egghead's doing. I'm not sure what old doc's up to, but one thing's for certain," he and Tails performed another Rolling Combo. "I'm gonna take him down!"

Metal and Zavok returned to the fight alongside the Badniks. All of them charged at Sonic and the Freedom Fighters.

Clay kept commentating on the whole thing. "Just as things were looking down for our heroes, Amy Rose and Team Chaotix stepped into help. The Mighty Clay watches as the red dude grabs Charmy and flings him into Espio. But luckily, Vector was there to land a good old punch across the man's face. Just like the Mighty Clay taught him. He then sees Sonic and Tails show off their camaraderie as they tear the robots apart. They were working so well together, Metal Sonic couldn't even touch them!"

"Hey, Mr. Rabbit Dude," said Charmy. He was getting distracted by Clay's commentating. "Could you keep it down, please. Professional Chaotix Detective here!"

Just then, Zavok grabbed the little bee by his wings, holding him up high.

Espio and Vector noticed this and rushed to help. " _Charmy!_ " they shouted.

Clay gasped and decided to help them as well. Before the two detectives could do anything, Clay jumped on Zavok's tail and did the one thing he never thought he could do.

He bit the Zeti's tail.

" _ **YEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!**_ " Zavok screamed like a little girl who hurt herself on the playground, as he lunged onto the air, clasping his rear end. He dropped the bee in the process

Espio and Vector pulled Charmy away and watched Zavok fall down. He yanked the rabbit off his tail.

"You little runt!" he snarled with hatred in his tone. "How _dare_ you bite me!"

"Look on the bright side," said Vector. "He doesn't have rabies… well, you better hope he doesn't."

Team Chaotix helped the young rabbit escape by allowing Espio to initiate one of his signature moves; the Leaf Spiral. Espio spin dashed around the monster and formed a magenta/silver-colored tornado made of leaves. Vector and Charmy added to the tornado by upper cutting Zavok up his jaw, causing him to fling Clay in the air.

The rabbit screamed at the top of his lungs, catching the attention of Sonic. _**(3s)**_

The blue hero ducked underneath an Egg Fighter, rolled into three Motobugs, and homing attacked an Egg Hammer's head. The force of his homing attack shot him so far into the air, one might say that he grew wings because he was flying. Sonic grabbed Clay in a bridal style, landing on the ground and running across the streets.

Metal Sonic and an army of Crabmeats tried to stop him, but because of how face Sonic was going; a blue aura formed around him; he boosted into his enemies.

He jumped off Metal Sonic's head and landed on the top of a building, placing Clay down on the roof.

The rabbit crawled backward, heavily breathing. He couldn't believe that he was saved by Sonic the Hedgehog. How awesome was that?

Sonic let out a few pants before commenting on Clay's bravery. "You know, your shoe's untied, right?"

Clay looked down and saw that his right Mega Drive shoe was untied.

"I wear golden buckles, so I don't have to worry about it," Sonic chuckled before complimenting Clay's act. "Listen, dude, you may take narcissism to a whole new level, but you have a good heart. You saved Amy two months ago and now you saved Charmy. Takes a lot of guts to do that, you know?... How about this? If you want, when this is all over, I could show you the ropes of being a hero. I could teach you how to fight, how to go fast, everything!"

Clay nodded his head rapidly, he smiled.

"Sweet!" Sonic gave him a thumbs up, looking at the timer on the bomb.

 _19:01_

 _19:00_

 _18:59_

 _18:58_

The clocks was ticking.

"Excuse me for a quick second," Sonic smiled. Tails flew up behind him and offered him his hand. Sonic grabbed Tails' hand and the two of them took off flying. Clay got off his bottom and ran to the edge of the building.

He watched as Sonic and Tails homed in on a swarm of Flappers; bird-like Badniks that had missiles shooting the city. He gasped at how quickly they took them down, landing on the side of the Atomic Bomb. They crawled up the side like spiders.

"How does Tails fly like that?" Clay said to himself. "Can I do that? I want to do that… maybe I should invest in two-tailed surgery."

Sonic climbed up the bomb, gently bashing it with his fist. He was looking for the weak spot; a spot Dr. Eggman is known for putting on all of his inventions.

"In here?" Sonic hit one part but didn't find the weak spot. He then hit the silver plate next to it; the piece broke off. "Oh, wait, it's here!"

He ripped the silver plate off, watching it fall on top of Zavok's head. "Okay, let's whoa!"

Tails flew beside Sonic. "What's wrong?... oh,"

Instead of finding a generic weak spot that someone with half a brain could destroy, Sonic and Tails were greeted to an advanced green mainframe with an armada of circuit boards and computer chips. Not only, but multi-colored wires were sticking out of the circuit boards. Sonic and Tails eye-balled each other with a quick glance. The latter nodded and cracked his fingers.

"I can fix this," Tails said.

"You can, how?" Sonic asked.

"I got someone who can help me," Tails put his two fingers in his mouth, whistling as if he was calling for a pet. "Come here, boy!"

In the distance, a small robot flew over to both brothers. Tails smiled at the flying machine while Sonic was just confused.

The robot Tails whistled for was a remote robot that vaguely resembled its creator; it was an orange and white colored robot with red and white feet, mimicking Tails' red and white shoes. The overall appearance of the drone is similar to a quadruped, however the robot only had two legs. The robot's name was… T-Pup: a robotic canine that Tails made on his own private abode, Cocoa Island.

T-Pup barked and smiled at Tails, as it flew in front of the circuit board and began sniffing the wires.

"What the heck is that thing?" Sonic asked with a smile.

"This is T-Pup, an invention I made in my workshop on Cocoa Island, one of my favorite vacation spots," Tails replied. He high-fived the robot fox and chuckled.

"Look at you, making a robotic guard fox like this dude." Sonic chuckled.

"He's not a guard fox, he's a science fox." Tails pointed. He and T-Pup began to diffuse the bomb. "I'll diffuse this thing, keep the Badniks at bay- " _**(4)**_

"Tails, look out!" Sonic pushed his best friend out of the way, a magenta aura collided with him and shot him into the air. The aura threw him around the air, but Sonic managed to boost into the magenta figure, punching him rapidly.

Tails glanced up and gasped as he watched Sonic and this newcomer fight each other. But instead of standing there and doing nothing, he left T-Pup to diffuse the bomb while he would go onto to help Sonic. "T-Pup, diffuse the bomb! I'll be right back!"

Tails jumped off the platform and flew after Sonic, who was fighting off the magenta character.

Clay watched from below, cupping his hands together.

"Hold on a second there, big boy," Sonic said, punching and kicking the figure. "I'm in the middle of something!"

Sonic grabbed the figure's face and head-butted him, but the figure put his feet back and super-kicked the hedgehog in his chest. The blue blur slammed, back first, into a building, knocking over a water tower. Water shot out of the top of the tower and splashed all over the other side of the building it sat on, short-circuiting the Badniks attacking that side.

The figure landed on the ground, its magenta aura disappeared, revealing his true identity… Infinite.

Infinite extended his jackal claws and slowly walked up to Sonic, who was slowly panting in exhaustion.

"I am so tired," he said, as he jumped up on his feet and got into a squatting position.

Infinite ran up to Sonic and continued his fight against him. He started off by punching Sonic across the face before kicking him twice. Sonic, caught off guard, dodged out of the way and spin dashed into Infinite's chest. But the jackal grabbed the hedgehog in his ball form and slammed him against the ground. Sonic pressed his feet against Infinite's chest before firing an uppercut.

Tails continued flying.

Amy and Team Chaotix were still fighting Metal Sonic, Zavok, and the Badniks.

Clay watched in awe; he had no idea what was going on.

"Are you mad at me? I feel like you're mad at me," Sonic joked. He fought off Infinite's attacks until he was flipped over and slammed against the ground. He rolled to the side as Infinite swatted at him with his claws. Tails flew in and shot Infinite with his Arm Cannon.

Clay reached behind him and took out his camera; he started recording the fight between the three combatants.

Tails and Sonic ganged up on Infinite, doing nothing but punching, kicking, hacking, and slashing him with all of their might. To their surprise, Infinite fought back, acting as if he was evenly matched for them. He punched Tails and volley kicked the blue blur.

Sonic and Tails teamed up against him by combining their spin dashes together; the Rolling Combo. They boosted into the jackal, causing them and him to fall off of the building.

They crashed into the ground and continued the fight.

Metal Sonic and Zavok stopped leading the Badniks into battle when they saw that Infinite had entered the ring. They nodded and raced towards him.

Finishing all the Badniks off, Amy and the Chaotix followed the two villains.

Zavok and Metal grabbed both Sonic and Tails and tossed them over their shoulders. The two brothers landed beside their friends, ready to get back on their feet. But to another surprise, Metal and Zavok stood by Infinite, staring down at the heroes as if they were the size of ants.

Just as the Freedom Fighters charged, two other brawlers decided they wanted to be part of all of this. _**(4s)**_

Shadow the Hedgehog and Chaos were the other two members of Infinite's team.

"S-Shadow?" Tails raised an eyebrow. "It's you?"

 _What's Shadow doing here?_ Sonic said to himself. _He works for G.U.N. right? Why is he here?_

"Whatcha doing, Shadow?" Sonic asked. "You do realize the winning team is over here."

"I've had a little change in priorities," Shadow shook his head, making a fist.

"What's your excuse, Chaos?" Sonic said to the god. "Did Eggman tick you off again?"

Chaos didn't respond.

Just then, the evil scientist behind all of this; Dr. Eggman came down from the sky. He was riding his Egg Mobile, Orbot and Cubot were sitting right next to him. In his hands was a battle-damaged T-Pup. He chucked it at Tails and watched the fox catch it; he gasped.

"T-Pup!" Tails worried, he kneeled down and tried to fix him. The foxlike drone had a broken eye and a few broken bits on it sides.

"Welcome, Sonic the Hedgehog," Dr. Eggman raised his hands, giving a warm welcoming gesture. "To our endgame."

"Let's make this old school, Egghead!" Sonic called out. "Call off your army and we'll settle this mess one-on-one!"

"As much as I would love to fly around the area with a wrecking ball hanging from the Egg Mobile," Dr. Eggman smiled. "I've got another way to finish you. Behold the power of my ultimate masterpiece… Infinite! Infinite, clean out the area for me, please. I want to even the odds."

Infinite obeyed his master's command by snapping his fingers. Suddenly, Amy, Tails, and Team Chaotix discovered that they were being wrapped in red cubes. Espio, Vector, and Charmy gasped as they tried to move out of the way, but the red cubes evaporated them from the area. The same thing happened to Tails and Amy.

"S-Sonic!" Amy gasped before she suddenly disappeared.

Sonic the Hedgehog was now all alone. He gasped and looked around. Everybody was gone.

"What the!?" Sonic gasped. "What did you do to them, Eggman!?"

"Like I said, I evened out the odds," Dr. Eggman smiled. "Now, where were we? Oh, yeah! _Illusionary Legion_ … _**ATTACK!**_ "

Infinite, Shadow, Chaos, Zavok, and Metal: The Illusionary Legion were ready for another round.

Sonic, now all alone, has no idea what is coming for him.

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 6**_

* * *

 _Not to worry everyone, Tails and the others did not get Thanos snapped. They've just been transported someplace else. As with Sonic, he's stuck in a one on five battle with Eggman and his Illusionary Legion. That should end well, right?... right?... I'll leave now. The Atomic Bomb has only minutes away from being set off, will Sonic stop it in time or will something terrible happen? Find out next time in "Chapter 7: When Heroes Fall."_

* * *

 ** _POST/A-N:_**

 _T-Pup is a robotic dog Tails made in the Sega Game Gear game titled Tails' Adventure, a game where Tails was just sitting on his isolated island called Cocoa Island, when all of a sudden, a group of birds called the Battle Kukku Empire lead by Great Battle Kukku and his son, Speedy (Or Battle Kukku XVI) decided to invade the island for their own imperialistic reasons. So, Tails builds a robotic guard dog named T-Pup in order to defeat the Battle Kukku Empire. That dog has the ability to transform into a helicopter, a battle tank, and a submarine. Tails will definitely be packing heat in this story._

 _Speaking of Tails, one of the things I really hated about Sonic Forces was how Sonic, Classic Sonic, and Original the Character: Do Not Steal did all the work while everyone else did nothing. As the tagline implies "Join the Resistance" I thought we would be able to play as different team members like in Sonic Heroes. But sadly, that wasn't the case. Pontac and Grafft (The people who have written the Sonic Games' stories since Sonic Colors) ruined the character of Tails for everyone! SEGA should fire them and replace them with Ian Flynn (The Writer of Archie/IDW's Sonic Comic Book Series)_

 _Anyways, with my rant over, I would now like to thank everyone for being here with me. Thanks for the taking the time to read this chapter. Don't forget to review, fav, and follow if you're interested as it does help a lot. I'm the Sensational SpiderDom321, signing off!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	7. When Heroes Fall

_**A/N:** Well, this is it everyone, the final battle is here. The story is ending... well, the beginning of the story is ending. Because after this chapter, we will be starting the official Phantom Ruby War storyline. Yeah, that was pretty quick, wasn't it? I am excited to be moving onto the actual "saving the world" story arc because I have a lot of ideas moving foward. What are they? I can't say, you will have to wait and see._

 _Special thanks to TGN, Infinite's Ruby, SharpDragonKlaw, TurquoiseTriangle, and Alexandria Prime for their reviews and support!_

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Sunset Heights - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(2) Floating Islands (Fighting) - The Legend of Spyro DOTD OST_**

 ** _(3) Terminal Velocity Act 2 - Sonic Colors OST_**

 ** _(4) Dual of the Fates - Star Wars: The Phantom Menace OST_**

 ** _(5) Malefor Battle (3) - The Legend of Spyro DOTD OST_**

 ** _(6) Dreams - The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night OST_**

 _Prepare for some feels because the show's about to begin!_

* * *

 **When Heroes Fall**

 _ **(1)**_ Freedom Heights was in absolute panic and Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze weren't having any of that, not today.

The part of the city they were dashing through, Park Avenue, was under attack by Eggman's Forces, which was usually nothing new, but after the mess on Angel Island that involved Chaos, the Knuckles Clan, and Eggman, the three combatants suspected something was up.

With so much chaos and entropy going on in the city, Knuckles did what he did best; cause a Donnybrook or a fight.

He lunged into the air and dove downward into a back of Eggman's Badniks, watching pieces of scrap metal shoot through the air.

Knuckles couldn't help but smile as he tore through more robots; more chunks of metal shot through the area. He slammed the Badniks into the ground before moving forward.

"Silver, Blaze!" he shouted. "Are you two okay over there!?"

Silver was the first to reply, "I'm okay. I took care of those Egg Hammer things in Splash Highway. How are you, Blaze?"

Blaze couldn't chime in right away because she was focused on pouring every ounce of power into her flames; she was burning many drones to a crisp. "I'm all right. I wish we could have come here sooner."

"It's all right, it's my fault for not believing your reasons for being here right away," Knuckles punched the ground, sending a shock wave that stunned more enemies. "But don't worry, this is Sonic we're talking about. I'm sure he's all right." _**(1s)**_

* * *

Little did Knuckles know, he was completely wrong. Sonic wasn't all right; he was in clear and present danger. _**(2)**_

Dr. Eggman was watching him fight his new team: The Illusionary Legion. All of them charged at the blue hedgehog and began to attack.

With his quickness, Sonic quick-stepped to the side and roundhouse kicked Shadow in the back of the head, sending the black hedgehog crashing face-first through a store window; glass fragments shattered and scattered the floor.

Sonic smirked at the sight of that before Zavok punched him straight across the face, sending him flying into a wall. The blue blue jumped up and avoided another punch from Zavok, grabbing the Zeti's horns and slamming him into his knee. As Zavok fell to the ground in pain, Sonic jumped on top of a building, hoping he could strike everyone else from above.

But to his surprise, Chaos got there before him.

He simply teleported up there; something he's never been able to do before.

Surprised, Sonic gasped prior to dodging a swipe from Chaos. The water god trapped the hedgehog's arms with an arm-lock, holding him tight.

"Chaos, you can teleport?" Sonic asked. "How did you do that?"

Infinite interjected into the scene and volley kicked Sonic in the chest; he flew right off the building.

Metal Sonic flew upward; a purple aura surrounded him, and boosted right into Sonic's chest.

The blue hedgehog skidded across the ground before he landed into a pole. The telephone pole fell over and landed on the roof of someone's car; the roof was dented and glass from the windows sprinked the ground.

"Nice!" Dr. Eggman cheered, he whipped out a cheerleader's outfit and a pair of pom-poms. "Give me an I! Give me a double L! Give me a U-S-I-O-N-A-R-Y, what's that spell!?"

"Don't get too excited, Doc!" Sonic snarled. "I'm not giving up just yet!"

Sonic ran towards the five villains; creating a blue aura that indicated he was boosting. He rammed into Zavok and Chaos, jumped over Metal, and lunged towards Infinite. But unfortunately, Shadow threw one good Chaos Spear at Sonic. It was so good of a shot that Sonic's momentum was cut off.

The black and blue hedgehogs began to fight; punching, kicking, homing attacking, spin dashing, etc. Nothing was going to stop them from winning.

"Why are you doing this, Shadow!?" Sonic shouted, he punched and kicked Shadow across his chin.

Shadow fell back on the ground before giving his reply, "I feel that I should no longer serve these people, they hurt me in the past so I shall get rid of them!"

"Oh, geez, don't tell me you've gone all emo again." Sonic rolled his eyes.

Shadow whacked Sonic in the gut, grabbed his quills, and began racing back to Dr. Eggman.

But his blue rival wasn't going to let himself be defeated; he lunged backward, releasing himself from Shadow's grasp, and homing attacked Shadow in the face.

"Have you forgotten you helped me with the Biolizard?" Sonic punched, volley kicked, and slammed his fists into Shadow. "Or what about the Black Arms invasion? Surely, you have to remember _that?_ "

Shadow grabbed Sonic's fists and sneered. "Stop talking and _start fighting!_ "

Infinite teleported behind Sonic and grabbed him by his feet, flinging him upward in the air.

The hedgehog and the jackal fought as they free fell towards the ground.

Chaos cupped his hands together and boosted Zavok into the air; the Zeti's fists combined with Sonic's face.

Mobius' hero fell against a platform, falling to the ground on his chest.

Dr. Eggman grabbed a random bucket of popcorn and peanuts from his back pocket; he was enjoying the battle. He watched as Sonic fought Shadow and Metal at the same time, only to be clobbered by Chaos. Infinite lifted Sonic, trapping him in a wave of red cubes before slamming him into the dirt.

"This is a lot more fun than I thought!" Dr. Eggman smiled. Orbot and Cubot exchanged some looks. "If this was on television, it would get more positive ratings than the last super bowl!"

"Chaos Spear!" Shadow shouted, sending a golden spear at Sonic. The blue blur dodged it and kicked Shadow.

 _I hope Tails and the others are okay,_ Sonic said to himself, running away from a streak of cubes that were following him. _I don't know how much more of this I can take, but I'm gonna give it my all! As long as I'm still standing, Eggman will never win!_

The Atomic Bomb's clock was ticking.

 _16:02_

 _16:01_

 _16:00_

 _15:59_

Time was running out.

Clay the Rabbit, hiding on the same building Sonic dropped him off at, watched as his hero got his rear handed to him. He stopped his commentary… sort of.

"This is nuts!" he said to himself; he was actually worried for once. "Sonic can't take on five villains and diffuse a bomb all by himself! Someone needs to do something… and that someone is gonna be me! Look out, Eggman, the Mighty Clay is coming to town!"

The grey-colored rabbit climbed over the side of the rooftop and slide down a metal pipe, where he jumped off and grabbed onto the railing of a balcony. Pulling himself over, Clay fell on someone's outdoor chair; it fell on the floor and spilt the drink that was on it. Stepping his Mega Drive shoes in orange juice, Clay climbed down the latter before he reached the surface.

He began to use his "ninja skills" to sneak by the Illusionary Legion. His definition of ninja skills was to grab a stop sign and hide behind it, thinking he was blending into the environment.

Sonic and the Illusionary Legion's fight continued; Eggman ate more popcorn.

He arrived at the Atomic Bomb, but as soon as he got there, he realized he was way over his head. The Atomic Bomb was unspeakably tall, not even the highest-jumping frog could hop over it without touching the top.

But that didn't stop Clay from trying.

The rabbit jumped two feet into the air and grabbed the side of the bomb, sliding downward in the process. He tried again, but he got the same result. He did this procedure two more times, but he couldn't get up the bomb.

"Darn it!" Clay snarled, kicking the side of the silver bomb; that hurt his leg. "Ow! Ow! Ow!... I wish I had my mighty hammer, I could shoot myself up there and… wait a minute… shoot myself up, _that's it!_ " _**(2s)**_

* * *

 _ **(3)**_ "Blaze, watch out!" Silver shouted, as he slashed a pack of robots that snuck up behind the lavender cat. Blaze ducked beneath the psychic wave and watched as the robots exploded; more scrap metal pieces flew around.

"Thank you, Silver," Blaze smiled. Her smile suddenly wiped away when she found out she and Silver had to deal with three Egg Hammers. Knuckles was in the back, pummeling more Egg Fighters into oblivion. "How many more of these Eggman robots are there?"

"They just keep coming and coming," Silver said. His hands were lit with a cyan glow. "Let's take them down!"

Before the dynamic duo could fight the three Egg Hammers, red cubes suddenly appeared right in front of them. Thinking it's a trap set by the bad guys, Silver and Blaze prepared for combat.

The cubes suddenly vanished, revealing Tails, Amy, and the Chaotix.

"Tails? Amy?" Blaze asked, looking at the Chaotix. "People I don't know?"

"Hi!" Charmy smiled, greeting the princess. "I'm Charmy, nice to meet you!"

"What the?" Amy worried, looking to see if anything happened to her body; nothing happened. "Blaze? Silver? What's going on here?"

"Did we just teleport?" Tails inquired. "What power does that jackal have?"

Knuckles jumped in front of the two-tailed fox and scolded the group for standing around and asking questions. "Hey, guys, I have a suggestion. Let's stop asking questions and _get back to the fight!_ "

Knuckles and the team stopped slacking off and went to fight the three Super Badniks.

The red echidna and the three detectives dogpiled on top of one Egg Hammer.

Blaze and Amy teamed up against the second one.

And Tails and Silver fought the third.

"As much as I like you seeing you and Blaze here, Silver, why are you guys here?" Tails asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Dr. Eggman discovers an interdimensional power and uses it to take over the world," Silver replied. He and Tails dodged the Super Badnik's hammer; bricks and stone cracked into pieces. "Blaze and I came here to your world in hopes of stopping the calamity that affects this world's future."

"I wish you arrived sooner," Tails shot an armada of electric orbs at the Egg Hammer's head, blinding him with golden light.

"Well, Blaze, Knuckles, and I ran into a bit of trouble." Silver rubbed his head, nervously chucking.

Blaze and Amy incinerated the Badnik they were fighting; Amy did slam her hammer into its eyes just to make sure it stayed down. Knuckles and Team Chaotix destroyed their robot with ease. Silver flung Tails, who formed a Spin Dash, right between the Egg Hammer's eyes.

All three sentinels exploded at the same time.

The heroes regrouped and landed in the middle of the road. _**(3s)**_

"This way, everyone!" Knuckles ran to the left. "We have to find Sonic!" _**(4)**_

"Knuckles!" Amy called, pointing to the right. "Sonic is this way!"

Knuckles made a U-turn, feeling embarrassed that he went the wrong way. "I meant to head that way! Come on, Resistance, let's go!"

"Resistance?" Amy asked.

"Don't ask," Blaze replied.

Everyone followed Knuckles, unaware of how Sonic was handling all the villains he was pitted up against.

* * *

Sonic turned over his shoulder and saw that Zavok was pacing towards him. He then turned back to his frontal direction and saw Infinite doing the same thing as the monster.

The blue hedgehog cracked his fingers, jumping up and letting Infinite and Zavok crash into each other. The latter fell on top of the former.

Shadow raced forward and kicked Sonic, but he missed because his blue rival ducked and rolled. Sonic punched Shadow before grabbing his arm, spinning him around like a wrecking ball before he launched him into Chaos.

"Come on!" Sonic shouted, clenching his fists. "Is that the best you can do!?"

Infinite created a swarm of cubes, Zavok's fists glew a bright purple color, Metal Sonic activated his V. Maximum Overdrive; orange electricity flowed through his circuits, Shadow's hands were holding his Chaos Spears. Dr. Eggman sat and watched the fight.

"Huh?" Sonic said, stunned by the angry looks he was getting from the Illusionary Legion. "I had to ask."

* * *

Clay, who was standing on the roof of a building after making a small supply run, watched the donnybrook resume. Sonic homing attacked into Shadow, Chaos, Metal, and Zavok, before getting attacked by Infinite.

The rabbit nodded in determination before rubbing his hands together. He reached into Hammerspace (An invisible space where people can pull objects larger than them out of nowhere) and pulled out five telephone wires.

He laid them down on the floor, tying them together. "Tying!"

He then wrapped them around two poles that ran parallel to each other. "Wrapping!"

After wrapping the wires around the poles, he turned around and calculated the right angle he needed to shoot himself at. "Calculating!"

He figured out the right angle; he was now ready to put his plan into action.

Clay turned around, making sure his back was facing the telephone wires. Stepping backward, he pressed his back against the wires. He continued to step back until the wires were stretched far enough.

In about three seconds, he lifted his feet off the ground and slingshot himself into the air, shooting right for the Atomic Bomb.

" _ **WHOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!**_ " Clay screamed at the top of his lungs, capturing the attention of Sonic.

"What the?" Sonic asked. He dodged another attack from Infinite and hopped on Zavok's head, looking at the flying rabbit. "Clay? What's he doing!?"

Sonic hopped off and continued fighting.

As the rabbit flew through the air, he extended his arms and legs apart. He felt the wind push against his fur; his ears were flopping up and down as he took to the skies. He pictured himself as the superhero he was born to be; a bright red cape flowed behind his back, his mighty hammer was in his hands, and he was wearing a silver helmet that made him look like a god.

He hit the side of the bomb.

"Ow!" he said to himself, his dark voice was muffled because his face was pressed against the bomb. Sliding down the side, he grabbed onto the door that contained the weak spot and pulled himself up.

Grabbing the door, he opened it up, "All right, my idea worked! Time to-oh!"

The circuit board and the amount of wires inside the bomb haunted the rabbit; he didn't expect so many features to be placed inside of the bomb. A little drop of sweat poured down his forehead. He wiped his head and thought of his next move, unaware that the countdown clock reached below fifteen minutes.

 _15:00_

 _14:59_

 _14:58_

Clay cracked his fingers and took a deep breath, "Where's Skylar when you need her?"

Down below, Sonic was worried that Clay was going to hurt himself. "What is he doing!?"

Zavok smacked Sonic to the side, giving Shadow the chance to kick Sonic's face into the ground.

Sonic got back up and performed a duo attack combo; he kicked Shadow and rapidly punched Zavok.

He did the same to Chaos, Metal, and Infinite as he spoke to himself in his mind. _Wow, for a narcissist, he sure has a big heart. I can't believe the dude shot himself on top of an Atomic Bomb! He may have gotten himself up there, but I have a feeling he's in way over his head. I better get up there and help him out!_

Sonic dodged a wave of cubes, running up the side of a wall. _But first, I gotta loose Eggman and his boy band… hmm, I think I have an idea._

The Illusionary Legion surrounded Sonic when he landed on the ground. All five of them slowly tiptoed around their enemy, preparing to strike at any random moment. Sonic's emerald green eyes were focused on one at a time, he too was ready to strike.

The five villains lunged forward at the same time and started beating Sonic to a pulp. So much entropy was happening that a giant dust cloud formed around them.

Suddenly, Sonic popped out of the dust cloud; not a spec, cut, or bruise was on him. He laughed at the foolishness of Eggman's so-called legion, as he ran up the side of the bomb, catching up to Clay.

"Clay, what are you doing?" he asked, landing next to the rabbit.

"I'm gonna diffuse the bomb!" Clay said, messing around with the wires. "I'm sure I almost have it!"

"Have you done this before?" Sonic raised an eyebrow, he saw that the Illusionary Legion were still inside the dust cloud.

"I've seen people do this on TV, how hard can it be?" Clay said. He pulled out a few wires and ripped out some circuits.

Eggman's Legion were still fighting, causing their master to intervene. "You idiots! Sonic's up there!"

Everyone stopped fighting and saw that Sonic was standing next to Clay. All of them regrouped and started racing towards the bomb. Sonic let out a low sigh; he was tired of this nonsense, so he scolded Clay to hurry it up. "Clay," he said. "I hate to rush you but _hurry up!_ "

"Oh, ye have little faith," Clay said, pulling out the last blue wires and pushing a red button in the middle. _**(4s)**_

Suddenly, a miracle happened. The Atomic Bomb's timer was on _14:32_ and then it suddenly stopped. The numbers were no longer counting down. Sonic and Clay slid down the edge of the contraption and landed right in front of it. The two of them looked up and saw that the bomb's timer was de-activated. Dr. Eggman, Infinite, and the other members stopped in the middle of their tracks, noticing the same thing the heroes did.

The Atomic Bomb has been diffused; the Freedom Fighters have won.

"I did it!" Clay said in his deep dark voice. "The Mighty Clay and his trusted sidekick, Sonic the Hedgehog has diffused the Atom Bomb! They smile and wave as- "

"Wait, look!" Zavok pointed to the timer.

Sonic and Clay halted their celebration to see that the latter has only made things worse. The number _1_ in _14:32_ suddenly disappeared, thus making the timeslot at _4:32_. The clock resumed its countdown with much less time than it had before.

 _4:31_

 _4:30_

 _4:29_

Clay didn't diffuse the bomb; he decreased the time.

Sonic and the rabbit gasped in pure horror; Dr. Eggman laughed at this sight.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect _this_ to happen, ha-ha!" Dr. Eggman cackled. Sonic snarled and slowly looked at the doctor over his shoulder. "As much I would love for my Legion to keep fighting you, we have more important things to attend to. Better hurry up and diffuse the bomb, Sonic, the clock's ticking!"

Before Dr. Eggman's Egg Mobile could fly him in the other direction, Infinite levitated in front of his maser.

"Wait," he whispered. "You said that _I_ would kill Sonic."

"You'll get your chance," Dr. Eggman chuckled back. "In four minutes. Illusionary Legion, fall back!"

Infinite and the Illusionary Legion fled the area behind Dr. Eggman. Soon enough, they were all gone.

Sonic would have chased after them, but he figured getting the bomb out of the city would be more important. He turned to the rabbit, who was in complete distress.

"Clay, listen to me, we- "

"Sonic!" shouted the voice of Tails. He, Amy, Knuckles, Silver, Blaze, and Team Chaotix ran down the street. They approached Sonic with smiles of relief. "Thank goodness you're okay, did you diffuse the bomb?"

"Clay and I might have had a slight malfunction," Sonic pointed to the bomb's timer behind him.

 _4:20_

 _4:19_

 _4:18_

Everyone (except Sonic and Clay) gasped with shock.

"Silver, can't you lift it up and toss it out of here!?" Vector yelled.

"I can try, it may take a lot of concentration, but here goes!" Silver said, he flew over to the bomb and wrapped it in a cyan forcefield. Using all of his strength, he was only able to lift it a few feet off the ground. But there was a reason as to why he couldn't lift it higher; it was fear. Fear of letting his future getting destroyed caused Silver to lose some of his concentration. Which caused the bomb to land back in its original position. "Sorry, guys! I can't focus! There has to be another way!"

"I have an idea," Sonic said, sounding a lot more serious than usual. He rushed over to Clay. "Clay, you ever heard of an Extreme Gear?"

"Y-yeah, why?" Clay nodded.

Sonic reached into Hammerspace and took out his old Speed Star, the same one he used in the first World Grand Prix. He handed it to Clay. "You know how to use it?" Sonic asked.

"Yes," Clay took the gear.

"Jump on the board and get out of the city as fast as you can!" Sonic pointed to the right.

"B-but, what about you!?"

"I'll be fine, just go!"

"Sonic… I'm… I'm sorry,"

Sonic let out a low sigh and patted Clay's shoulder. "We'll talk about this later, go!"

Clay did as he was told, as he jumped on the hoverboard and fled the city.

"You guys too!" Sonic pointed to everyone else. "Get out of here!"

"W-What!?" Amy gasped, snarling. "Sonic, are you crazy!?"

"We're not leaving you!" Charmy said.

"This is nuts!" Vector facepalmed.

"Be smart about this, Sonic, think about your decision," said Espio.

"I already made up my mind," Sonic said. "Go! _**NOW!**_ "

Tails was about to say something until Knuckles stepped in, "No! Sonic, Silver told me that I needed to lead a Resistance against whatever Eggman was up to! And as the Resistance leader, _we are not leaving you behind!_ Come with us while there's still time!"

Sonic took a moment to analyze all of the frustrated/saddened looks his friends were giving him. Amy looked to be on the verge of yelling, Team Chaotix was worried, Knuckles was determined not to leave him behind, Silver and Blaze were panting softly, and Tails… he gave a face that almost looked like he was about to cry. The fox sniffed and wiped away a tear, not wanting to look like a crybaby in front of his brother.

One of the things Sonic admired most about his friends was that they are always there for him, even if they had their disputes from time to time. He sighed and placed a hand on Knuckles' shoulder, giving him a small smile. He did the same to Tails and Amy.

The last thing he said to them was, "Sorry," _**(5)**_

Before everyone could register what Sonic just said, the blue hedgehog scooped Knuckles off his feet and carried him over his head. He did the same thing to Amy, causing her to fall on top of Knuckles. He ran up to Team Chaotix and scooped them on top of Amy. Silver and Blaze fell on Espio while Tails fell on Blaze's back. All of them were stuck in a giant dogpile on Sonic's hands. The blue hedgehog took off running down the street.

"Sonic!" Amy shouted, struggling to get Vector off her back. "What are you doing!?"

"It's for your own good, guys!" Sonic smiled.

"Now I know how a football player feels!" Charmy said, squished underneath Espio and Blaze.

"See you on the other side!" Sonic shouted, as he approached the border between Green Hill and Freedom Heights. One by one, he chucked everyone into the air and homing attacked them as gently as he could, sending them skyrocketing across the water.

Team Chaotix was first, then Silver and Blaze, then Knuckles, then Amy. Last but not least… was Tails.

Before Sonic forcefully spun attacked Tails into the water, he gave him one last smile before he said his goodbye.

"Sayonara, little brother," Sonic homed in on Tails and sent him flying across the clouds. All of his friends landed in the water, just like he planned. He then turned back to the city and cracked his fingers. "Time for the endgame!"

* * *

 _1:00_

 _0:59_

 _0:58_

One minute remained on the Atomic Bomb.

Sonic the Hedgehog raced up to the bomb only to be kicked to the side by a mysterious force.

He skidded across the ground, quickly landing on his feet. He glanced up only to see Infinite. The masked jackal was by himself. No Eggman, no Illusionary Legion, he was all alone.

"I thought you would have gotten out of here by now," Sonic said, wiping his lip.

"I could say the same thing to you," Infinite replied, clenching his fists. "If I were you, I'd give up on trying to diffuse that bomb. One minute remains on the clock, you're too late."

Sonic cracked his fingers.

"How could you come back thinking you'll save the world? Who do you think you are?" Infinite snarled.

"What you see is what you get," Sonic smirked. "Just a guy who loves adventure, _**I'm Sonic the Hedgehog!**_ "

The blue blur rolled into a ball and dashed right into Infinite's chest, sending him straight through a wall.

Infinite boosted through the wall again and tackled Sonic, the two of them began their rematch.

The jackal formed a sword made of red cubes and swatted it at Sonic's chest, barely cutting a single of his fur off. Sonic ducked and dodged the attacks, as he landed an uppercut against Infinite's chest. Infinite grabbed Sonic and kicked him to the side, Sonic countered by grabbing Infinite's chest fur, head-butting him four times, flipped him over, and slammed his head against the ground.

 _0:05_

 _0:04_

 _0:03_

 _0:02_

 _0:01_

Sonic volley kicked Infinite before gasping at the clock. " _ **NO!**_ "

 _0:00_

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

The Atomic Bomb exploded, but it didn't shoot out a fiery explosion like a normal one would. This bomb shot out a wave of magenta energy; shards of metal from the bomb itself scattered into the air, crashing into buildings and shattering window glasses. The tsunami of energy covered the entire city, causing the buildings, bridges, and towns to glitch out. Purple, red, and black lights emerged as the buildings glitched out. The same thing happened to the ground that sat below the buildings.

As for Sonic, he was suffering much harsher punishment to the effects of the tsunami. Infinite flew away from the area before the bomb detonated. Sonic tried to move around, wanting to get out of the city, but what he was seeing distracted him from his thought of escape.

Everywhere he looked, visions of Eggmanland (The same Eggmanland Dr. Eggman saw in his dream) were spawning everywhere. The blue hedgehog gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and dug his fingers into his quills.

Feeling like barfing, he shouted in pure frustration.

He opened his eyes and saw even more horror that was waiting for him.

What he saw were the unconscious/wounded bodies of his friends; all of them were shivering in fear. In the distance, a squadron of G.U.N soldiers and Resistance fighters were getting pummeled by the Deadly Six and Metal Sonic.

In the background, Crystal Eggman was holding the unconscious body of Sonic himself.

" _ **Long Live the Eggman Empire!"**_ Crystal Eggman shouted, placing down the flag of the Eggman Empire into Mobian soil.

"No!" Sonic shouted with anger. "No, no, _**NO!**_ "

More magenta waves clouded Sonic's line of sight.

Then… there was nothing. _**(5s)**_

* * *

 _ **(6)**_ In Green Hill Zone, Clay the Rabbit witnessed the Atomic Blast from a far distance, but despite watching from afar, he felt the waves of energy brush against his fur. This caused his ears to flop up and down. He was not affected by the virtual reality visions Sonic witnessed, but he did get a small glimpse of what was to come in his future.

Panting, he peeked his head from a small hill, seeing a giant mushroom cloud evaporate into the air.

"My gosh," he said to himself, nervously.

As he got up and started walking back to the city, he heard something cough in the distance. Surprised, he jumped in fear and heard the cough again. It was Sonic the Hedgehog; he seemed to be close by. Clay gasped gently and ran down the luscious green hills.

When he ran down the pathway, he saw that Green Hill looked a lot more like Sand Hill, but it was infested with rubble and debris from the city. Along with sand replacing the grass, buildings pieces, rooftop parts, and other forms of debris scattered the field, making Clay more nervous about what happened in Freedom Heights.

What shocked him even more what happened to the Red Gate Bridge; parts of the top were broken, and cars were hanging over the edge. Three of them fell into the water.

Sonic continued coughing, forcing Clay to run faster.

Eventually, the rabbit located the hedgehog. Sonic was laying down on his back, leaning against a pile of debris. His whole body was covered in black bruises, his shoes had a few rips and tears in them. His stomach was nearly back, and his forehead had a few bruises. The only part of him that was fine was his smile, he shot one at Clay before coughing again.

Clay dashed over and leaned down beside Sonic.

"A-are you okay?" Clay asked as gently as he could, it was hard for him to contain his equanimity.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I just need a breather," Sonic coughed, smiling. He waited one second. "Okay, I'm done."

"Can you stand up?" Clay inquired.

"Sure, I can… my body just won't let me," Sonic chuckled, coughing again. "I gotta take an easy with the laughing. It hurts even more, ha-ha. Ow!"

Clay placed his hand over his eyes, trying to hide away tears of guilt. "I'm so sorry," he said tenderly.

Sonic looked up at the rabbit's emerald green eyes. "What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything."

"The bomb… I- "

"Listen… you did all you could. We gave it our best… oh, great."

Clay turned around and saw six figures flying in the far horizon. They were Dr. Eggman and the Illusionary Legion. The rabbit gasped and went to pick up Sonic, but the hedgehog refused to let the rabbit help him.

"No, don't… leave me," Sonic chuckled. "I can handle them."

Clay didn't respond. He heavily panted before he nodded.

"Clay, listen to me," Sonic said. "My friends probably swam up to shore by now, I need you to take my Extreme Gear and find them. Ask them if you can join their resistance. If for some reason Knuckles says no, tell him I promised you that I'd teach you to become a Freedom Fighter. Can you promise me that?"

Clay thought about his decision for a quick moment, not knowing if he was up to the task. His number one hero just asked him if he could keep a promise for him. That's something you don't hear every day. Clay rubbed the back of his head with his red gloves, nodding his head. But before he left, he wanted to ask a question.

"How do you know I could do this?" Clay asked.

"Come on… you're The Mighty Clay," Sonic grinned, coughing in the middle of his sentence. "I know you can do it."

The rabbit's frown suddenly turned into a smile.

"Okay, kid, get outta here!" Sonic said, seeing Eggman's Legion getting closer. "Go, _go!_ "

Clay ran across Green Hill Zone, escaping from the soon to be confrontation. But instead of leaving, he hopped behind a piece of debris and hid behind it, looking up to see Dr. Eggman and his forces walking up to the wounded hedgehog. Clay ducked his head, hiding himself from Eggman's sight.

"Well, well, well, take a look at this," Dr. Eggman smiled, waving to his arch-nemesis. "Sonic the Hedgehog, lying down in the dirt. Who would have thought?"

"Hey, Egghead," Sonic chuckled and coughed. "Nice to see you again. We haven't fought each other since the Lost Hex incident. Did you get a new haircut?... oh, nevermind. Your hairline's as nonexistent as your love life."

"Make all the jokes you want, Hedgehog. You've lost… _I have finally won_." Dr. Eggman sneered.

Walking past, Shadow and Metal, Infinite extended his claws; he slowly stepped towards Sonic, ready to stab him.

"Don't you want to know what I saw in there?" Sonic asked.

Dr. Eggman halted Infinite from finishing the job. "Wait,"

Infinite followed the order.

Sonic sighed before giving Eggman a threat-like response. "I know what you're trying to do and trust me, it won't work… as long as one man stands against you, Eggman… _you won't lay a finger on this planet._ "

Dr. Eggman jumped out of his Egg Mobile and stood over his blue enemy. Infinite stood back and retracted his claws. Zavok folded his arms. Metal placed one hand on his waist. Shadow observed the confrontation closely.

It was at that moment where Dr. Eggman raised his hands into the air, clenching his fists.

He smashed both of them into Sonic's chest. _**(6s)**_

" _ **AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_

Clay's ears flickered when he heard Sonic scream in pain; he turned his head away, not wanting to see what just happened. A few seconds later, he glanced over and watched as Dr. Eggman lifted his fists back up. He wiped his hands and took a heavy breath, every member of the Illusionary Legion stared down at the hedgehog, who was no longer awake.

Sonic the Hedgehog had fallen.

"Get rid of the body," Dr. Eggman said.

Zavok grabbed the hedgehog and placed him over his shoulder.

Infinite snapped his fingers, causing a giant magenta bubble to surround him and his colleagues. They all disappeared from plain sight.

Clay the Rabbit grabbed his chest and started panting again. He couldn't believe he just witnessed the demise of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Before he took off running, he said something he never thought he'd say before.

"Oh god,"

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 7**_

* * *

 _Sonic the Hedgehog has fallen; Dr. Eggman has finally won... or has he? Freedom Heights may have been destroyed, Clay the Rabbit might have escaped, but Tails, Knuckles, and the others still remain. Find out how they will reunite together to combat their mysterious new foe: Infinite._

 _Stay tuned for "Chapter 8: Friends Unite!"_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _Yeah, after watching Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse three times, I decided to take a bit of serious route when it came to Sonic's death._

 _Tails will play a dominant role in the Resistance. He will not go solo like he did the in the game. I found that whole idea of him going solo without reason to be stupid. If he was sent to look for traces of Sonic, that would be understandable, but nope, he just goes off on his own without question. Leaving his friends to fight by themselves, that was rude. It's what happens when you let Pontac and Graff write the script... sorry, mini-rant._

 _I decided to give Clay some character development here. He will end up feeling even more bad once he finds his friends in the next chapter._

 _Legend of Spyro (While I am not a huge fan of it, I am more of an old school Spyro fan) has some really great music!_

 _That is all I shall say for now, thank you all so much for reading! Don't forget to follow, fav, and review. I shall see you next time! ;)_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	8. Friends Unite!

_**A/N:** Wow, how long as it been since I updated this story? Too long! Sorry about the long update, everyone. I've been busy with school activities as well as my own personal hobbies. Anyways, I am glad to be back in the game, as this story is one of my favorites to work on. I have a lot planned from here, so let's get down to it! Special thanks to those who faved and followed!_

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Scared of the Dark - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse OST_**

 ** _(2) His World (Sad Violin Version) - Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **Friends Unite!**

"Ha-ha! This movie's great!" Buster the Dog quipped. He, Skylar, and Emma were sitting in their dorm room of Spagonia University, watching a movie as a good way to spend the night. Or at least… they were _trying_ to watch something.

"Buster," Skylar said, trying to fix her broken TV remote. "There's nothing on, it's just a black screen."

The brown dog scratched his head in confusion, looking at the television screen; nothing was there.

"Oh… I knew that," he said.

"Perhaps we should get new batteries, Skylar," Emma suggested. "I can run down to the store and pick some up."

"No need, Emma," Skylar shook her head, refusing the yellow hedgehog's offer. "With my high genius intellect, I'll have this fixed in no time!"

Suddenly, a thump startled the three college students.

"What was that?" Emma asked. She jumped behind the couch, covering her head with a pillow.

Being the dog he was, Buster jumped off the couch and ran to the bedroom door the thump came from. He barked and scratched the door with his hands. Skylar rolled her eyes; she hated when Buster acted like this. She walked to the door. However, she was scared of what caused that noise on the other side. It was times like this where she was glad to have Buster around.

She kicked open the door, allowing Buster to enter the room. He sniffed out the person, who was cowering behind the bookshelf.

"Freeze, I'm a dog!" Buster shouted. "I bite!"

The shadowy figure raised his hands, surrendering himself to the students. He grabbed the shelf and pulled himself up. It was Clay the Rabbit.

"Clay?" Buster asked, raising an eyebrow.

"False alarm, Emma," Skylar moaned. She got worked up over nothing. "Clay, what are you doing here? Can't you see it's late at night?…"

Before Skylar continued to scold the rabbit, she saw something she never thought she'd see: Clay the Rabbit was crying. Tears were flowing down his puffy red cheeks. The rabbit wiped his emerald green eyes, not wanting his friends to see him this way. He spent most of his evening getting to Spagonia University with Sonic's Extreme Gear. He wiped his eyes again and sniffed, feeling horrible for not being able to save the Hero of Mobius.

Sonic the Hedgehog was gone forever, and Clay felt that it was all his fault.

He limped over to his friends to tell them the news, but as soon as Skylar saw one last tear flow down his body, she ran up to him and embraced him with a hug.

"Hey, hey, hey," Skylar said calmly, trying to reassure the gray-colored rabbit. "Clay, what's wrong?"

"I… I was out… I was out and…" Clay tried to tell them what happened, but the memory of Dr. Eggman being the one to deliver the final blow on Sonic hindered him from speaking clearly. "I did something stupid, guys… I killed Sonic the Hedgehog."

"What?" Emma asked. She joined in the hug before she and Skylar released the rabbit.

"What does that mean?" Skylar inquired. "You killed Sonic?"

"There was a bomb in Freedom Heights… Sonic and I tried to stop it… I messed up the bomb timer… Sonic was killed by Eggman and some jackal named Infinite… I couldn't save him…" Clay wiped his face again, sobbing. "I'm sorry… it was all my fault."

The blue bear, yellow hedgehog, and brown dog exchanged looks of curiosity. Was this another one Clay's stories or was it true? Either way, they knew Clay's emotions were real and they felt nothing but sorrow for him. Clay sat down on Skylar's bed, planting his hand against his eyes.

As he continued sobbing, Buster took off his cowboy hat, setting down on the nightstand. He sat down and rubbed his best friend on the back.

"Skylar, can Clay stay here for tonight?" Buster asked. "He really needs our help."

"We do have a test tomorrow," Skylar said, stroking her chin. "But I'm sure Professor Pickle won't mind if we keep him here for one night. Clay, you can stay if you want to."

"Here!" Buster smiled, pulling out a large dog pillow from underneath Emma's bed; it smelled like beef and cheese. "You can sleep on my bed."

Emma and Skylar covered their noses, protecting themselves from the smell.

"No, thanks," Clay refused. "I can sleep on the couch."

"Uh uh," Emma shook her head. "You can sleep in my bed tonight, I'll take the couch."

Clay climbed into Emma's bed, placing a red blanket over his body. Skylar gave him one more hug before she asked him something.

"Would you like to watch a movie with us?" she asked.

"No, thanks," Clay replied. "I just want to get some sleep."

Skylar and Emma exchanged somber looks.

"Okay," Emma replied. "Goodnight, Clay,"

"Goodnight," Clay sniffed one last time before closing his eyes. He heard the murmurs of his friends as they walked out the door.

"He killed Sonic?" Buster asked. "What's that all about?"

"We'll talk about it in the morning," Skylar said. She left the door halfway closed. Clay opened his eyes and continued crying in silence. He placed both his hands on his face, covering his eyes. "Sonic… I'm so sorry."

In the other room, Skylar fixed the remote and turned on the TV. But instead of the movie she, Emma, and Buster wanted to watch, the trio were greeted to a news report on the screen. There, they saw a dreadful Brenda: A news reporter for Spagonia. She looked at the camera and let out a low sigh, something was wrong. _**(1)**_

"We interrupt this broadcast for a special report," Brenda said, wiping a tear from her eye. "Sad news tonight. The hero known as Sonic the Hedgehog… has died."

Skylar, Buster, and Emma gasped in utter shock.

Clay opened his eyes as walked toward the door, he peeked through and saw a picture of Sonic on the TV screen. He also saw that Brenda was trying to hide more tears.

"After injuries related to a bombing of Freedom Heights," Brenda continued. "Multiple sources are confirming that Dr. Eggman, joined by a league of villains called the Illusionary Legion, was behind this matter. Authorities are urging all Mobians and humans to evacuate their homes and find some place safe. Dr. Eggman is coming for us all.

Skylar cupped her hands over her mouth. Emma pressed her hands together. Buster lowered his head to the ground, closing his eyes. Clay slowly closed the door, slamming his fist against the wall with his fist. He turned around and grunted in agony.

* * *

Downstairs, Professor Pickle and his assistant, Cucumber, were watching the same news report as the rest of the students in the university.

The assistant closed his eyes and wiped away a tear.

The professor gently placed his hand over his eyes.

* * *

"Boss, boss!" Storm barged into Jet's office; the sudden entrance knocked Jet out of his chair. Wave, who was typing on her computer, sitting next to Jet, rolled her eyes.

"Storm, at least learn to knock before you enter a room!" Wave nagged at the albatross. "What do you want?"

"You better have a good reason for that, Storm!" Jet moaned, rolling his eyes.

Storm let out a low sigh before taking out a microchip. It loaded a blue hologram of the news report Brenda gave around the world. The headline read, _"Sonic the Hedgehog, dead at age 15. Cause of death related to bombing of Freedom Heights."_

Wave cupped her hands over her beak, horrified that someone as heroic, cocky, and fast as Sonic would be killed by a weak-minded scientist like Dr. Eggman. She recalled times where Dr. Eggman has tricked her, the Babylon Rogues, and Team Sonic into giving him the Chaos Emeralds in order to participate in the first World Grand Prix, the time Dr. Eggman sent MeteorTech robots to find the Ark of the Cosmos (Gravity Stones), and the time he disguised himself as King Doc as a way to set up another Extreme Gear competition.

Throughout all those adventures, Sonic has always won… how did he lose this time?

But unlike her, Jet the Hawk refused to believe the news.

"N-no way!" Jet gave a dismissive sound, smirking. "There's no way that moron would lose to Dr. Eggman!" his tone turned from cocky to shocked. He has been Sonic's rival for as long as he could remember. He found it hard to register the fact that the fastest thing in the universe was gone forever. "Right?"

* * *

"Citizens of Freedom Heights!" Dr. Eggman shouted from above. He, Infinite, and the Illusionary Legion were standing on top of the rubble of a building. All of them sneered down at the pedestrians in the city. Thankfully, there were no casualties, however, a lot of people were scared because of the Phantom Ruby's virtual reality. "Bow before the Eggman Empire!"

A family of cats hugged each other in fear.

A couple of goats, dragons, and chipmunks all cried because there was no one here to save them from Eggman's reign of terror. Infinite clenched his fist and chuckled at the fearful faces everyone gave to one another.

That fear sparked happiness inside his cruel heart.

Zavok smiled as well, as he punched his knuckles together.

Metal Sonic nodded and bowed before Dr. Eggman; the chubby doctor patted his most prized robot on the back, laughing because he finally accomplished his goal. Sonic the Hedgehog was gone, the dawn of the Eggman Empire was just beginning.

Chaos starred at the pedestrians and Dr. Eggman.

Shadow folded his arms and looked down to the ground. He seemed to feel guilty for something. But before he can think about what he did, the sound of Eggman's laughter distracted him. He focused his red eyes on the doctor, letting out a low sigh.

 _What have I done?_ He said in his mind.

* * *

"Come on, Cream," said Vanilla the Rabbit. She was busy packing up her suitcases, so she and Cream can evacuate their house. Big the Cat was helping them out by assisting the six-year-old rabbit by packing her belongings. Gemerl was standing in the background, focusing on the door in case any Badniks broke in to hurt him and his family. "It's time for us to go now."

"We're coming, Ms. Rabbit," Big said. He picked up Froggy, who was bouncing around the house, and placed him on his shoulder. Cream, shedding a tear, wiped her eyes and looked over at her mom. Gemerl noticed Cream's tears and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay, kiddo?" he asked, wiping another tear off Cream's cheek.

"Gemerl," Cream sniffed. "Is Sonic… gone?"

The black and yellow Gizoid wasn't sure how to explain this to the rabbit without being blunt. There was no way to put a positive spin on this situation, but he had to find some way to tell her what happened to the blue hedgehog. He placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her into a hug.

"I have a feeling he's gonna be okay," he replied. "This is Sonic… he'll always be with us,"

Cream sniffed again, hugging Gemerl back. "Thank you, Gemerl."

"Come on, everyone," Vanilla said. She and Big opened the door and left the former's house. "We have to get moving."

"We're coming, Ma'am," Gemerl replied. He took Cream's hand and guided her out the door. Cheese the Chao flew underneath the rabbit's arm, hugging her in concern. Cream hugged Cheese back, smiling down upon him.

"Don't worry, Cheese," the rabbit smiled. "I think we're going to be okay,"

* * *

Back at Freedom Heights. Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Team Chaotix, Silver, and Blaze were swimming through the water away from the city. They were on their way to the shores of Green Hill Zone, praying that Sonic is there to regroup with them. The last time they saw him was not too long ago, where he tossed them into the water, so he could run back into the city to diffuse the Atomic Bomb. They wanted to help him deactivate the superweapon and stop Eggman, but he insisted that he'd do it himself. Refusing to leave him behind, they told him they wouldn't leave his side, forcing him to take drastic measures.

He picked them up, ran to the other side of the city, and chucked them into the water.

After spending a few minutes of swimming, they finally reached the shoreline.

Shaking themselves dry like dogs, they turned their heads. _**(1s)**_

What they saw was a ruined city. Buildings were destroyed, roads were infested with potholes and bumps, the Red Gate Bridge was missing multiple pieces of its structure, and windows were shattered. Glass fragments scattered the rubble across the ground. The heroes panted; each of them were exhausted from all the chaos that occurred. The only thing on their minds was the safety of themselves and each other.

"Is everyone okay?" Tails asked everyone. Team Chaotix huddled beside each other, nodding their heads. Blaze clenched her ribs in pain, Silver comforted her by helping her lean upward. They replied to Tails with a nod. Knuckles and Amy did the same thing. "Where's Sonic? Does anyone see him?"

Everyone searched around for the blue hedgehog, assuming he would meet them by this spot. He was nowhere to be seen.

Knuckles and Espio joined Vector and Charmy in looking around the environment. No sign of the blue hedgehog.

Silver and Blaze shot up into the air and flew around Green Hill. A few seconds later, they came back and told everyone they didn't see anything.

Tails and Amy looked at each other nervously. They feared that the worse has happened to Sonic, but knowing him, he possibly survived the explosion and is still in the city fighting Eggman. The sound of laughter suddenly faded, spooking a few members of the team. Tails and Amy turned around and rushed to the shorelines. They predicted that with the cackles fading away, Sonic would come out of there alive and well. They waited for him.

"Sonic!" Tails called, cupping his hands together. "Where are you!?"

"Sonic, are you there?" Amy joined in the shouting. "Sonic!"

There was no response, only silence.

"Sonic!?" Tails yelled again.

No response. _**(2)**_

Knuckles and the Chaotix looked at each other in worry. There was no possible way Sonic survived an explosion as deadly as that. Blaze and Silver gave the same expressions to one another. Amy started to believe their same thoughts, but Tails, being optimistic, said differently.

"Sonic, come on, man!" he said. "This is the part where'd you make your dramatic comeback! You always do that!"

Silence filled the area again. A somber look fell on Amy's face. She slowly walked over to Tails, who was beginning to worry that his brother was gone.

"S-Sonic… are you…. t-there?" the kitsune said one more time. He got the same response he did the past two times; silence. He collapsed on his knees and screamed, " _SOOOOOOOONIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC!_ "

There was no reply.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Hero of Mobius has fallen; The Eggman Empire has won.

Not knowing how to handle the news, Tails collapsed on his knees and covered his eyes; he began crying into his gloves. Salty tears fell down his eyes like a waterfall, they rubbed against his bushy white cheeks. His twin tails curled into each other, wrapping themselves around his body. The fox fell down on his rear end, crying into his hands. Amy kneeled down beside him. She too, was crying, but she wasn't sobbing as hard as Tails. As soon as five tears fell down her face, she wrapped her arms around Tails, trying to comfort him in a war hug.

Tails hugged Amy back, returning her comfort.

Blaze folded her arms and closed her eyes in sadness, trying to hide her pain. She recalled the times she worked with Sonic in the past. She may not have been as close to him as Tails and Amy were, but she considered him an ally. Silver, on the other hand, was also upset but he was also angry.

He slammed his hands on the ground, mad that his mission to prevent the disaster that ruined his future failed. He was supposed to protect Sonic and save his world from going into a coma, but after the events of today, he failed.

Team Chaotix gathered together and mourned the death of their friend.

Charmy hugged Vector and cried into his chest, the croc bowed his head in despair. Espio pressed his hands together and closed his eyes, praying to the Mobian Gods that Sonic has entered a better place.

The only one who wasn't completely devastated was Knuckles. The echidna was upset that his rival was gone, but he wasn't crying like everyone else. Instead, he was thinking about why Silver and Blaze came to him in the first place. While they told him they were looking for Sonic, Knuckles assumed there was a reason why Silver and Blaze arrived on Angel Island first. He looked up into the horizon and watched the sun set below the ocean.

He sighed before he let out a deep huff. He puffed his chest and clenched his fists.

It didn't take him long to walk over to Tails and Amy. He put one foot on a small rock, mimicking a superhero's battle pose. _**(2s)**_

"Get up, soldiers," he said gently. "Our work isn't done yet."

Tails and Amy poked their heads up and looked at Knuckles. Everyone else did the same thing.

"Knuckles, what are you doing?" Espio asked.

"You really think this is the perfect time to play superheroes?" Vector asked, rolling his eyes.

"Sonic's gone, but he wouldn't want us sitting here, mourning his death," Knuckles continued. He got off the rock and started pacing around his friends. He was surrounded by curious eyes. "He would want us to get back up and fight back! Yes, we could have easily disabled the Atomic Bomb as a team, but there's a reason why Sonic did it himself. He sacrificed himself to save us because he knew this would happen."

"What?" Amy asked.

"That's quite astute," Tails said.

"Yeah, I'm totally… whatever you said," Knuckles replied. "But my point is, Sonic saved us, so it's time we save him… That's why we're going to form the Resistance."

"The Resistance?" Vector asked.

"Like a superhero team?" Charmy inquired.

"Even better than a superhero team, Charmy," Knuckles said. "We're going to journey around Mobius and fight off Eggman's forces. We'll make him pay for what he's done to Sonic and our world. There are people out there who're losing hope for mankind, which is why it's _our_ job to relight their hopes. As the Resistance… we will take back our world."

"How do we do that?" Silver asked.

"Like I said… together,"

"What if we lose?"

"Then, we'll do that together too."

After hearing Knuckles' reply to Silver's question, frowns transformed into smiles. Team Chaotix looked at each other and fist bumped one another. Vector wrapped his arms around Espio and Charmy, hugging them both.

Silver and Blaze nodded to each other.

Tails and Amy stood up, smiling at Knuckles.

"You're right," Tails smiled, placing his hand towards Knuckles. "Let's do this… for Mobius."

Knuckles placed his hand on top of Tails'. "For Mobius,"

Everyone placed their hands-on top of each other's, nodding and smiling at one another. They lowered their hands before shooting them up into the air.

All of them shouted, "For Mobius!"

They all jumped before landing on the ground.

"Now, all we need is a team name!" Charmy squealed. "But what can we be called?"

"We need something with pizazz," Vector grinned. "How about… Dudeitude,"

"That sounds like the name of a boy band," Amy said. "How about… Revengeful Resistance?"

"I think that name's being used for something else," Espio said with a gentle smile. He placed his hand on Amy's shoulder.

"How about… The Illusionary Resistance?" Tails asked.

"That name's also being used for something else," Silver pointed.

After a few seconds of thought, Knuckles came up with the name of the team. "Hey, guys… I got one."

Everyone looked at Knuckles, awaiting to hear the title of their Resistance.

* * *

Six Months Later.

In Freedom Heights, a red wolf was running across the city. Armed with a blaster, he charged into battle alongside his best friends; a teal bird and a pink cat. With them was another teal-colored Mobian; it was a wolf. The four of them raced across the fiery streets, shooting down Egg Pawns and Flappers as they came from an Egg Carrier above.

"Gadget, look out!" shouted the teal wolf. He saw a green Flapper coming for his red-furred brother. He cocked his weapon and shot it down with ease.

" _Phew!_ Thanks, Dakota," the red wolf named Gadget smiled. He and Dakota raced up to the cat and the bird. The two of them were surrounded by Egg Hammers. The canines regrouped with them and blinded the Super Badniks with blasts of energy.

"Fuchsia, Corvin!" Dakota said. "Get out of here, run!"

"No way, dude!" Corvin smiled. He took out a pair of Extreme Gear-esc roller skates and placed them on his feet. "There's a reason why I choose to fight… because it's fun!"

Corvin skated around the area, blasting the Egg Hammer's down with his weapon. Fuchsia hopped over one of the Badniks and scratched it with her claws. He landed on the ground and reached into her pocket, taking out a slingshot and a few water balloons. She shot the water balloons at the Badniks, watching them short-circuit and explode.

"Cowabunga!" Fuchsia shouted and giggled.

"Nice shot, babe!" Gadget smiled, shooting a Flapper down.

"Thanks, honey!" Fuchsia ran up to her boyfriend, Gadget, giving him a small kiss.

"Save that for later, lovebirds," Dakota said. "We got company,"

"Another wave of robots, I assume?" Fuchsia grinned at Dakota. "We'll be fine, Dakota, don't be so worrisome."

"I'd love to agree with you but take a look above!" Dakota replied, pointing to the top of a building.

On the top of a skyscraper, a shadowy figured jumped off and landed right across from the heroes. Corvin dashed up to his friends, curious as to who or what decided to challenge them.

It was Chaos. The watery god spread his tentacles and extended his claws. He charged right for the heroes.

"Oh, snap!" Corvin said, snapping his fingers. "That's what's his name!?"

"Chaos!" Fuchsia said. She, Gadget, Dakota, and Corvin dodged out of the way, watching Chaos slam the ground. Debris and pebbles shot into the air. Dakota converted his blaster into a sword. He slashed at Chaos, but he realized that his attacks had no effect. Chaos nonchalantly smacked the teal wolf to the side.

"Dakota!" Gadget said, worried about his brother's safety. He did the same thing to his blaster and charged at Chaos with a blade in his hand. "Get out of our city, you jerk!"

Gadget's blade slammed against Chaos' water shield. The two of them fought like crazy until Chaos smacked the sword out of Gadget's hands. He kicked him in the chest before slamming both his claws into Corvin and Fuchsia. The cat and the bird were fine, but they were laying on the ground, nearly unconscious.

"Total, wipe out," Corvin said, dazed.

Fuchsia was about to shoot Chaos' brain, but the creature wrapped his fingers around her, trying to choke her to death.

" _ **NO!**_ " Gadget shrieked. "Get away from her!"

Chaos punched Gadget in the face, knocking him out.

Just when the cat's face turned purple, something came in and saved her from dying.

Knuckles the Echidna and Amy Rose pounced into the fight and tackled Chaos. Miles "Tails" Prower, Team Chaotix, Silver the Hedgehog, and Blaze the Cat arrived to help the injured heroes.

"Are you guys okay?" Silver asked.

"W-we're fine," Corvin gave a thumbs up. "T-thanks,"

Knuckles and Amy surrounded Chaos; they began punching and kicking him rapidly.

"Get away from our people!" Amy slammed her hammer into Chaos' head. The water god prepared to attack, but Knuckles grabbed his feet, spun him around, and tossed him over the side.

Landing on the ground, Chaos became dizzy. He got back up and saw the heroes gathered together. The two wolves, the cat, and the bird watched in awe.

Not wanting to fight all of them at once, Chaos nodded and leaped away from the area.

"Chaotix, Silver, you guys help more of the civilians," Knuckles ordered. "Amy, you and Blaze get these guys back to the ship. I'll stay with Tails and deal with the Badniks,"

"Yes, Commander!" everyone shouted.

"Wait, wait!" Gadget said. "Who… who are you guys?"

The Resistance gave each other smiles and nods. They answered the red wolf's question all together.

Everyone replied, "We're _**T** **he Secret Strikers**_."

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 8**_

* * *

 _And so, our Resistance has finally come together after a motivational speech from Knuckles, and it looks like they've gained some new allies along the way. Gadget, Dakota, Fuchsia, and Corvin will join the fight for freedom, as our heroes continue to fight under Sonic's name. The Secret Strikers have a lot on their hands, but they will do whatever it takes to save their world. For anyone who remembers my old story, "Sonic and the Secret Strikers." the Resistance called themselves that name in that story, so I decided to keep the name._

 _The Secret Strikers will gain some new help from Clay and his amigos in "Chapter 9: New Recruits."_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _Pay close attention to Shadow's one line in here. That will foreshadow (no pun intended) something in the future._

 _Yes, that Brenda makes her appearance in here._

 _And yes, Professor Pickle's assistant is literally named, Q. Cumber._

 _Yeah, I'm not doing the thing where Tails goes off on his own. I know he does that in the game, but I never understood why he did that. Without wanting to write that myself, I decided to give him a role with the Resistance in here. And before anyone asks about Classic Sonic, I haven't forgotten about him. He'll show up in Chapter 10._

 _With the permission from TGN and Infinite's Ruby, I have referenced their stories in here through the characters. I asked them permission a while ago, and they said "yes." Originally, there was going to be a fourth-wall break, but I decided not to do that. You should go check out TGN's Revengeful Resistance and Ruby's The Illusionary Resistance when you get the chance. The former's title is referenced in here through the Illusionary Legion: Eggman's Bad Guy Squad in this story._

 _That's all I have to say for now. Thank you all so much for reading this chapter. Don't forget to fav/follow/review, etc! I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you all next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	9. New Recruits

_**A/N:** So, after crying my eyes out at how beautiful and emotional Avengers: Endgame was, I have finally gotten back to writing another chapter for this story. Don't worry, people, I have no plans of quitting on this story. Special thanks to those who have reviewed the last chapter and to those who left follows on this story. It really helps a lot._

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Night Boss Theme - Sonic Unleashed OST_**

 ** _(2) The Avengers Theme - Avengers: Age of Ultron OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **New Recruits**

"Destruction… that was all this city knew at this point," Clay the Rabbit said, as he recorded video footage of a ruined Spagonia. He was standing right outside Spagonia University, making a documentary about himself. Moving the camera to the right, he caught footage of people attempting to rebuild their ruined home, which was nothing but debris and ash. "Robots patrolling the street, enforcing Dr. Eggman's laws."

Clay suddenly watched as two Egg Pawns came around the corner.

Gasping, he jumped over the railing and hid beside the stairs, catching footage of the two drones.

He watched as they scolded the people for rebuilding the building. They grabbed them and pushed them back to the construction site they were supposed to be working on. Clay grunted at those drones and recorded them.

Just then, he heard noises in the distance.

"Cannon fire constantly rained across the skies," Clay said in his bold, superhero voice. "Now, I know what you're thinking, how did this happen? Well, the answer is simple… a tragedy struck the world, a terrible tragedy… I lost my partner, Sonic the Hedgehog. He and I were trying to diffuse a bomb, but instead, we screwed up the controls,"

Clay cringed when he said that. He knew that _he_ was the one who decreased the time from the bomb, but for the sake of making a good documentary, he decided to keep that part till the end. He lowered the camera and took a look at the world around him; the sky was a bright orange and the clouds were partly red. Above him, large silver and black robots known as Egg Behemoths were patrolling the streets.

Hopping back up the stairs, Clay gently entered Spagonia University, and closed the door.

Turning the camera to face him, he filmed himself in his new uniform. He had black and orange goggles on top of his head, a black and blue camouflage bodysuit that matched his gloves, the same Mega Drive branded shoes, white elbow pads and knee pads, and lastly; a hockey mask that covered his mouth.

Filming more stuff, he continued commentating.

"Sonic the Hedgehog sacrificed himself for the greater good," he said. "So, it is now up to me; The Mighty Clay: God of thunder to avenge his name! For I am not afraid of anything!"

Skylar the Bear and Emma the Hedgehog, who were standing behind the rabbit, shared a glance before they poked him on each shoulder.

" _GAHHHH!_ " Clay jumped, as he tossed the camera into the air. Catching it, he turned around and saw that his friends were giggling. Buster the Dog, who was getting on his forest green backpack, placed on his cowboy hat and approached his best friend. He laughed with Skylar and Emma, despite not knowing what happened.

"What are we laughing at?" he asked.

"Darn it, guys!" Clay snarled. He wasn't mad at them as much as he was annoyed. "You ruined my dramatic monologue!"

"Clay, what are you doing?" Skylar chuckled.

"I'm filming a documentary," Clay replied. "I want to show it to the school as a way of igniting hopes within the people."

"Aww," Emma said. "That's nice of you."

"That actually is nice," Skylar nodded.

"That, and I wanna see how good I look on camera," Clay said. "I hope it doesn't make my muscles look fat."

The blue bear rolled her yellow eyes and folded her arms. "And the good feeling's gone. It amazes me that you still act like a doofus even after the world's gone downhill. You're such a narcissist."

"Me, a narcissist?" Clay inquired, pointing to himself. "Nah, I'm awesome!"

This got a chuckle out of someone behind the bear, hedgehog, and dog. They turned around and watched as a middle-aged hedgehog with light blue fur approached them. He had a thick, gray mustache that matched his eyebrows. His eyes were as blue as his fur and he wore pointy, maroon red-colored shoes with yellow straps and white cuffs. And much like most Mobians, he had white gloves.

Alongside him was a yellow-furred dog with a brown spot on his left eye, his brown-tipped ear, and tail. He had brown marks on the lower half of his legs as well as blue sandals that were the same color as his eyes. Last but not least, he wore a red handkerchief around his neck.

They were Sir Charles the Hedgehog: Sonic's Uncle Chuck and Ben Muttski: Sonic's longtime companion.

"While I agree with Skylar for the most part, that was one witty comeback, Clay," Chuck said, placing a hand on the rabbit's shoulder. "Sounds exactly like something my nephew, Sonic, would say. In fact, he might have said that to his ex-girlfriend. Ha ha, boy I tell ya, as soon as he said that, she was so mad, she didn't talk to him for a week!"

As Uncle Chuck laughed, he suddenly stopped. As old memories of he and his nephew started popping up in his head. His smile morphed into a frown, as he lowered his head in shame. Closing his eyes, a tear dripped from his eyes and flowed down his cheeks.

Muttski wrapped his arm around his master, trying to calm him down.

Feeling bad that his harmless joke did some harm, Clay took off his hockey mask and rested it around his neck. Placing a hand on the hedgehog's shoulder, he nodded his head.

"I didn't mean to upset you, sir, but I was there when he… you know," Clay said. "He told me to gather a team of heroes together and I intend to keep that promise. I will avenge his name, Uncle Chuck."

The cobalt hedgehog gave the rabbit a small hug. The yellow hedgehog, brown dog, and blue bear joined in and told him the same thing.

"Thank you, fellas," Chuck smiled, wiping a tear and releasing from the huddle. "I hope Eggman pays for what he's done."

Clay and the others nodded and smiled.

And that's when the door burst open. _**(1)**_

The heroes turned around and saw three Egg Pawns and five Buzz Bombers right in front of them.

They scanned them at the same time.

"SUBJECTS: UNKNOWN," one of them said. "WISPONS: LOCATED. CONCLUSION: MEMBERS OF SECRET STRIKERS."

"I don't know who those guys are, but they have an awesome team name," Clay smirked.

"Wait, what!?" Emma gasped, trying to reason with the Egg Pawns. "No, no! We're not part of them! We don't know who they are!"

"LIES WILL NOT HELP YOU, SUBJECTS, PREPARE TO BE ELIMINATED."

"Time for the Gods to give me their strength!" Clay reached into his pocket and pulled out a hammer that resembled the Cube Wisp called a Wispon. He slammed it on the ground and wiped out the Egg Pawns, but the Buzz Bombers still stood. Fluttering their wings, they shot yellow projectiles at the residents of the building.

"Everyone, get down!" Chuck shouted. He tackled his apprentice and pushed him out of the way. The two of them fell behind a green couch. Skylar and Emma leaped over the front desk and unleashed their own Wispons; the former had the Hover blaster and the latter had the Lightning whip.

The two girls leaped back over and attacked Eggman's forces.

Buster reached into his pocket and found his Asteroid launcher. He shot purple cubes, as more Buzz Bombers entered through the door. Shooting them down, he barked and ran out the door to see if more enemies were coming. Clay swung his hammer around and wiped the Badniks.

But as soon as the friends stepped outside, they were greeted to more hostiles in their path.

Egg Pawns, Buzz Bombers, Flappers, Camerons, and Gold Camerons aimed their weapons at them.

Looking at each other, Clay and Buster fist-bumped and lunged into battle.

"The Mighty Clay and his trusty sidekick, Buster Beeza, march off into battle against Eggman's forces!" Clay monologued, as he slammed his Cube Hammer against the ground. "They use their weapons to bash the robots into the ground! Boom! Bang! Pow! They're so incredible with their sick moves!"

Buster and Clay stand back to back and annihilate the enemies as they come. Skylar and Emma help Chuck and Muttski outside; they listened to Clay monologue what he was doing.

"Clay, will you stop doing that and get serious!?" Skylar snarled, as she shot a gust of air from her Wispon. Sending a Cameron flying across the air, a golden turtle shot her down with a green energy wave. She fell on top of Emma and the two tumbled down the stairs.

Clay and Buster noticed this and ran over to them.

"Hang on, you two!" Buster barked. "We're coming!"

"The Mighty Clay and Buster Beeza discover their friends are in danger!" the rabbit said. "As they rush to their rescue, they- "

 _ **KABOOM!**_

Clay and Buster were shot across the air, as they landed into a fire hydrant and a telephone pole.

Recovering from their defeat, they discovered that the jackal who killed Sonic, also known as Infinite, was here. He was with the Illusionary Legion: Shadow, Zavok, Metal, and Chaos. All five villains loomed over the wannabe heroes.

Clay's green eyes widened, as his jaw dropped. "Y-you!"

"Stay down and relent to Lord Eggman," Shadow said, peacefully. "Or you will suffer the consequences!"

Clay gripped his hammer and stood up. Buster tried to stop him because he was afraid he'd hurt himself, but the self-proclaimed God retorted against his sidekick.

"Grab the ones inside," Infinite told his colleagues. "I'll deal with this little runt."

The Illusionary Legion did as they were told.

Infinite was left alone with Clay and Buster.

The brown canine fired more purple cubes at the jackal, but the latter shielded himself with his own cubes. He formed the cubes into a whip and lashed at Buster, smacking him across the chest with his weapon. Clay gasped and tackled the jackal with his hands, pulling on his dreadlocks.

"Get off me, you savage!" Infinite snarled. He grabbed the rabbit and slammed him on the ground. Clay pushed himself back up and held his hammer in the air. The Cube Wisp inside of it came out and hid behind its master.

"Don't be afraid, little dude!" Clay said. The square-shaped creature flew back into his master's weapon. Flinging it around like a ninja, Clay showed off his moves before he lunged towards Infinite. "The Mighty Clay has come face-to-face with his greatest foe: The Masked Canine!"

Infinite raised an eyebrow. Was this rabbit announcing what he was doing?

He dodged the hero's attacks with ease, confused. But he did find humor in some of Clay's commentary.

"The Masked Jackal moves fast, but the God of thunder moves faster!" Clay said. He swatted at the jackal, but he missed because of Infinite's skills as a mercenary. "He's good, a little _too_ good! As he dodges the attacks thrown at him, The Mighty Clay wonders how he will defeat him! Oh, wait! He knows! A good roundhouse kick special will do the trick!"

Clay did what he just said, but his foot was caught by Infinite.

Being pushed in the back, Clay skidded across the ground.

"Okay, maybe that move didn't work as well as Clay thought," the rabbit moaned, as he laid there on his stomach.

Infinite chuckled. "I never say this about people, but you're quite funny. Although, this commentary cannot hide your true fear."

Clay got back up and fired a punch at the jackal. "Whatcha talkin' bout, sucka?"

Infinite blocked the punch and pushed the rabbit against the wall. "Here's a spoiler warning for you. You're not a hero. You're just a clone who's trying to be somebody he's not."

Clay jumped on the jackal's head and punched him twice. Infinite teleported away from the rabbit and kicked him against his back. Buster caught his best friend and set him down. Running forward, he continued shooting more projectiles at Infinite. The canine smacked the dog to the side and kicked the rabbit across the face, knocking his hockey mask off.

Landing on the concrete, Clay grabbed his mask and placed it back on. He did the same thing to his goggles, as he twirled his hammer and jumped upward, holding the hilt with both his hands.

"I may not know you personally, but something tells me you weren't always such an idiot," Infinite said, as he approached Clay slowly. "Your behavior is similar to that of Sonic the Hedgehog. Well, maybe not all of it, but most of it is similar to him. Your courage, bravery, narcissism, humor, you're trying to be just like him when really, you're failing miserably."

Clay snarled and cracked his fingers. "You killed Sonic the Hedgehog! I want to honor him!"

"By making a fool out of yourself?" Infinite chuckled.

Clay ran up to him, but he wrapped him in a field of cubes and shoved him into his best friend. Dazed, the two heroes got back up and see the jackal approaching them with two swords made of red squares. Buster growled and barked at him like the animal he is while Clay swung his hammer in a circle.

And at that moment, three shadows landed behind the jackal.

Turning around, Infinite found himself pummeled by a large fist.

Knuckles the Echidna, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Amy Rose were standing before the two friends; both were starstruck by their entrance. The echidna and the fox watched as the jackal recovered. Infinite laughed as soon as he saw the three heroes standing together.

But before he can make a snarky comment, Team Chaotix, Silver, and Blaze landed beside them.

"Well, well, well," Infinite chuckled. "Look who it is,"

Tails reached behind him and took out his Arm Cannon. Aiming it at Infinite, he gave him a death stare.

"Let them go, Infinite!" he threatened. "This is between you and us!"

Suddenly, The rest of the Illusionary Legion came out with Skylar, Emma, Chuck, and Ben in their clutches. Shadow gasped when he saw his former friends again, Chaos lowered his head in shame, Metal and Zavok just have the Secret Strikers evil glances.

Before they could escape with their prisoners, Gadget, Dakota, Fuchsia, and Corvin landed behind them. The four of them had team uniforms on.

Gadget and Dakota looked the same; they were both wearing military belts around their bodies as well as headsets. They had the same shoes and gloves. The only difference was that Gadget's attire was green and Dakota's attire as a navy blue. Fuchsia wore black armor with a purple and black skirt over it. She had yellow and black gloves that matched her boots and a purple visor over her left eye. Corvin wore green and black goggles on his head and a purple T-shirt with a diamond on it. He wore black and silver sneakers and camouflage pants. Black fingerless gloves covered his hands and he put his goggles on his face. The four of them made a fraction of the Secret Strikers called Team Feral Strike.

They aimed their Wispons at them in hopes of making them surrender.

Gadget had the Burst cannon.

Fuchsia had the Void launcher.

Dakota had the Hover gun.

And Corvin had the large Drill.

The Illusionary Legion set their prisoners down and prepared to square off against them, but they weren't prepared for their ambush. Flames shot across the air, a black hole smacked them into each other, Corvin drilled into Zavok's chest, and Dakota shot them on top of the jackal.

Knuckles and the Secret Strikers lunged forward and attacked the Illusionary Legion.

Team Chaotix smacked Zavok around like a chew toy.

Tails wrapped his chain whip around Metal Sonic.

Amy, Knuckles, and Blaze beat the snot out of Infinite.

Silver slashed Chaos with a psychic wave.

Crashing against the wall, Eggman's Legion fell against the ground.

The Secret Strikers surrounded them.

"It's over, Infinite," Knuckles snarled. "You're gonna pay for what you've done to our world!"

Infinite wiped dirt off his arms and tapped the Phantom Ruby on his chest. He gathered his minions together and extended his claws. "You think I'm going to run away from you? I'm just getting started!"

Shadow placed his hand on Infinite's shoulder and whipped out a green Chaos Emerald.

"What are you doing!?" Infinite snarled.

"Chaos Control!" Shadow said. A white flash of light blinded the resistance, as the Illusionary Legion disappeared from plain sight. Looking around, the Secret Strikers concluded that their enemies were no longer here. _**(1s)**_

"Well, that battle stunk," Vector rolled his eyes. "We didn't get a chance to do anything!"

"Relax, Vector," Knuckles said. "We still have a long way to go. There are people here that need our protection." Tails and Amy rushed over to Uncle Chuck and Muttski.

"Tails?" Chuck smiled, as Tails reached for his hand. He took the fox's hand and pulled him into a hug. "Boy, I missed you, my friend."

"I missed you too, Uncle Chuck," Tails smiled, as he returned the hedgehog's hug. A small tear dropped down his eye. "Muttski, you okay?"

The dog joined the fox's group hug. "I'm okay! Thank goodness you're okay, Tails."

It was at that moment where the hedgehog and the dog glanced over at the Piko Piko Valkyrie. They released Tails and approached her with warm smiles. Amy returned the kind gesture, as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Hello," she kindly waved.

"And who might you be, Miss?" Chuck asked.

"Oh, my name is Amy Rose. I'm close friends with Sonic," she replied. "Sonic's told me about you guys. It's nice to finally meet you."

"And Sonic's told me about you too, Amy, it's an honor to meet you as well," Chuck replied. He shook Amy's hand.

As they watched Amy, Tails, Chuck, and Muttski talk; Clay and his friends glanced at the leader of the Secret Strikers. Knuckles was giving his commands and the resistance was listening. Buster, Skylar, and Emma geeked out that their favorite heroes were still alive and that they formed their own team, but Clay, while he was excited, started to remember what Sonic told him before he was captured.

* * *

 _~Flashback_

Clay turned around and saw six figures flying in the far horizon. They were Dr. Eggman and the Illusionary Legion. The rabbit gasped and went to pick up Sonic, but the hedgehog refused to let the rabbit help him.

" _No, don't… leave me,"_ Sonic chuckled. _"I can handle them."_

Clay didn't respond. He heavily panted before he nodded.

" _Clay, listen to me,"_ Sonic said. _"My friends probably swam up to shore by now. I need you to take my Extreme Gear and find them. As them if you can join their resistance. If for some reason Knuckles says no, tell him I promised you that I'd teach you to become a Freedom Fighter. Can you promise me that?"_

Clay thought about his decision for a quick moment, not knowing if he was up to the task. His number one hero just asked him if he could keep a promise for him. That's something you don't hear every day. Clay rubbed the back of his head with his red gloves, nodding his head. But before he left, he wanted to ask a question.

" _How do you know I could do this?"_ Clay asked.

" _Come on… you're The Mighty Clay,"_ Sonic grinned, coughing in the middle of his sentence. _"I know you can do it."_

* * *

 _~Present Day._

"I'm The Mighty Clay," the rabbit whispered to himself. "I can do this.

Rushing over to the Secret Strikers, Clay tapped Knuckles on the shoulder.

The echidna turned around. "Hey, kid, you all right?"

"Yeah, yeah! I'm okay," Clay replied. "I want to join your resistance!"

The Secret Strikers glanced at each other. The rabbit's question was so sudden that it shocked them.

"I don't see why you can't join," Knuckles said. "So, we- "

"Hold on a second," Gadget said. "Isn't this the guy who tried to help Sonic diffuse the bomb?"

"Yep!" Clay smiled and nodded.

The pink cat slapped him across the face. "You idiot! You decreased the time of the bomb!"

"Yeah, man! What the heck is wrong with you!?" Gadget snarled. "Sonic could have diffused that thing by himself, but you just had to come in and screw it all up!"

Dakota and Corvin got in front of their team members.

"Hey, hey! Calm down, guys!" Corvin said. "He tried his best to help Sonic, right? Yeah, it didn't go as well as planned, but he wants to help us fight. That's what should matter most, right?"

"But he's the one who got Sonic killed!" Fuchsia retorted. "Don't defend him like this!"

"Hey, lay off, Fuchsia!" Dakota said. "Normally, I would be the one to act out like this, but I know my brother's right. He wants to help us out, so leave him alone!"

"Don't talk to my girlfriend like that, Dakota!" Gadget snarled.

"Watch your tone, brother!" Dakota gritted his teeth.

" _ENOUGH!_ " Knuckles shouted at the top of his lungs. Team Feral Strike cowered, as their commander approached the rabbit.

The latter sighed and rubbed his ears. Skylar, Emma, and Buster came near their friend.

Clay started to reach behind him. "I know you have no reason to trust me. I screwed up, got Sonic killed, and ran away like a coward." He pulled out the Extreme Gear Sonic gave him six months ago. Everyone gasped gently. Clay lowered his head in shame, as he held the hoverboard in his hands. "He wanted me to come find you guys, ask to join your team, and he said that if you ever said no, I would tell that he wanted to teach me to become a Freedom Fighter."

A moratorium struck the area.

Gadget and Fuchsia folded their arms and turned away from the rabbit. Dakota and Corvin exchanged a glance before they stroked their chins.

Knuckles, Team Chaotix, Silver, and Blaze huddled up with one another and began talking.

Espio, Vector, and Charmy looked at the rabbit, as they continued whispering.

Skylar and Emma wrapped their arms around Clay, feeling proud that he admitted his mistakes. Buster nodded and wrapped his friend in a hug. Clay smiled, as he waited for what the Secret Strikers had to say.

In just a few seconds, Knuckles let out his response.

"No,"

This made the rabbit heartbroken.

"Just kidding," Knuckles smiled, offering the rabbit and his group a hand. "Welcome to the Secret Strikers." _**(2)**_

Clay grabbed Knuckles' hand and shook it rapidly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Okay, okay, let go of my hand before it rips off," Knuckles said. Clay did what he said. "All right, Rookies, let's put you up to the test. You guys ready to save some people?"

Clay, Skylar, Buster, and Emma grabbed their Wispons and nodded.

"Good," Knuckles nodded, regrouping the Secret Strikers back together. " _Secret Strikers, let's do it to it_!"

* * *

Spagonia was under attack by Eggman's forces, but the Secret Strikers were on the job.

Knuckles, Amy, and Silver rushed ahead of the group and jumped into a herd of Badniks. Beating them all down with their strength, they cleared out a wave of Egg Pawns and continued running down a road of rubble and fire.

Espio, Vector, and Charmy approached an army of Egg Fighters. The squadron of enemies aimed their blasters and shot dozens of projectiles at the three detectives. Vector grabbed a pair of rings called Sling Rings from behind him and tossed one of them at Espio; he held onto the other. Espio and Vector suddenly spun dash against the ground until they took off, bashing and destroying the Badniks as they ran down the road.

Charmy stung them with his stinger and watched them explode.

Using her pyrokinesis, Blaze twirled her fingers and snapped them, sending a streak of flames across the battle arena; she decimated the enemies that were standing before her. Team Feral Strike smiled at her, as they ran in front and smashed more Badniks.

Last but not least, the Rookies: Skylar, Buster, Clay, and Emma rushed forward in an effort to prove themselves as the heroes they are.

"A glorious moment is occurring!" Clay smiled. "The Mighty Clay, Buster Beeza, Ferocious Bear, and Sweetie Hedgie have joined the resistance called the Secret Strikers, and they're more than determined to put a stop to Eggman's plans!"

As they boosted into the fight, they leaped into the air, struck a battle pose, and slammed their weapons against the ground. Emma lashed out against the enemies with her lightning whip, Skylar shot gusts of air that sent Badniks flying across the skies, Buster fired projectiles and made cowboy-like battle cries, and Clay slammed the ground with his hammer; he created blue shockwaves that turned the enemies into cubes.

"Astonishing!" Clay smiled. "Look at the way this team moves! With The Mighty Clay as their leader, they're an unstoppable team! Sweetie Hedgie strikes with all her mighty, Buster Beeza continues to land good shots, and Ferocious Bear shoots her…. Uh, air thingys at enemies… point is, you won't wanna mess with them!"

Skylar shot more Badniks. "Clay, call me ferocious again and you'll see what happens."

"I like my codename," Emma giggled.

Gadget and Fuchsia rolled their eyes at Clay's poor attempt at commentary.

Just as the rabbit fought in combat, he ran beside Corvin and Dakota.

"Now, The Mighty Clay joins forces with his new amigos: Teal Fang and Talon Claw!"

"Teal Fang?" Dakota chuckled, stroking his chin. "Not bad,"

"My nickname is cool!" Corvin smiled. "Do you write these down or do you make them up off the top of your head? Wait, can you come up with a nickname for Gadget and Fuchsia?"

"Don't you dare," both the red wolf and pink cat snarled.

Clay lowered his head in sadness; how he wanted to give those guys cool codenames. Dakota rolled his eyes at his brother's pointless hatred for the rabbit. "Don't worry about them, Clay," he said. "My brother's normally not this stupid nor is he such a jerk. He'll warm up to you soon enough."

"That's okay," Clay said. "The Mighty Clay shall make new friends during his journey,"

Knuckles and Amy worked together to smack a group of Camerons around.

"Heads up, guys!" Amy said, pointing to the far distance. "Something's coming!"

The Secret Strikers looked up and heard loud stomping from afar. Team Feral Strike and the Rookies stopped in their tracks, as they heard the stomps get louder and louder. Espio and Vector grabbed Charmy and pulled him aside, not wanting him to face whatever was coming to challenge them.

Silver and Blaze landed beside one another, watching a large figure approach them and the team.

It was not one, not two, but _three_ Egg Behemoths coming from the city; they smacked down a building and scanned the Secret Strikers.

"SUSPECTS IDENTIFIED AS SECRET STRIKERS," they said. "CONCLUSION: MUST BE DESTROYED!"

Knuckles gathered his team together, as they all stood in a group battle stance.

Clay, Skylar, Emma, and Buster were more than happy to be part of the team, as they all gripped their weapons and prepared to finish things off.

"The Mighty Clay is glad to be part of this team," Clay smirked. "He and his team… shall show Eggman no mercy!"

The Secret Strikers jumped into battle.

* * *

On the outskirts of the city, Infinite and the Illusionary Legion arrived out of thin air.

The jackal snarled, as he stormed towards Shadow; the ebony hedgehog knew that his "boss" was angry at him, but he didn't care. He didn't want to hurt the ones he may or may not care about. He folded his arms, as the canine began his rant.

"You idiot!" he began. "How dare you use Chaos Control as a way of retreating!? We could have taken them down! That way, they'd be out of our way forever! Why would you do something so stupid!?"

Shadow shrugged off Infinite's spew of anger. "Before you start peeing yourself crying. Just know, that I made the right call."

"How did you do that exactly?" Zavok inquired.

"We were outmatched by them," Shadow replied. "It's clear they've gotten stronger. If we had stayed, they would have apprehended us and taken us as prisoners. I did you all a favor by saving your lives! So you can take this small guilt trip of yours, Infinite, and shove it up your butt!"

"Oh, ouch," Infinite snarled in a sarcastic tone.

"Enough!" Zavok said, pushing the two fighters away from each other. "What's done is done. We've spent most of the day doing nothing but fight. It's time we head back to the base and get some rest. Besides, I want to see how my family is doing."

Infinite and Shadow stared at the Zeti before they calmed down. Chaos and Metal shared a glance.

"Fine," Infinite said, motioning to Shadow. "But the next time I see the Secret Strikers, I'm taking my chances with them!"

The angry jackal used the Phantom Ruby to lift himself off the ground. Flying across the sky, he was out of the area as fast as a light. Zavok cracked his fingers and followed his leader. Chaos and Metal did the same thing, but Shadow preferred to stay alone.

Turning over his shoulder, the black hedgehog watched as his former teammates fought the Egg Behemoths. He sighed and spoke to himself.

"Forgive me," he said to them, as he began to follow Infinite and the others. "I promise, my alliance will be explained in the end."

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 9**_

* * *

 _The Mighty Clay, Skylar, Emma, and Buster have officially joined The Secret Strikers! But it looks like Gadget and Fuchsia aren't too fond of them. Will Clay get a chance to win them over or will he screw it up? Speaking of screwing up, it's clear Shadow feels guilty for the bombing of Freedom Heights six months ago. How long will it be before he shows his legion his true colors. Well, I guess we will have to wait when we see Shadow and Chaos for their boss fights in the next chapter. More action awaits in..._

 _"Chapter 10: Blast From The Past."_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _I apologize for the delay of this chapter. I plan on updating more of this story as well as my Mario story in the future, as I plan on taking a break from Awakened and Avenge the Dead (My Sonic story and my Marvel/Walking Dead stories). I have a lot of ideas planned for both this and my Mario story, so expect updates for those in the future._

 _Uncle Chuck and Muttski appear in here. Originally, Archie/SatAM/AOSTH characters weren't going to appear in this story since I did that last time and failed miserably, but after reading some of my Sonic Archie Comics, I have decided to incorporate some Archie characters into her in an organic manner. Expect a few if them in the future. One HUGE Archie character will interact with Sonic when we see him again in around Chapter 11 or so._

 _That is all I shall say for now. Thank you for taking the time to read as always. Don't forget to fav, follow, and review and let me know what you liked and what I can improve on. I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you all next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	10. Blast From The Past

_**A/N:** Well, everybody! I didn't think we'd do this so soon, but I want to thank everyone for getting Sonic Heroes: The Atom Bomb up to over **50**_ **reviews!** _It amazes me that we're only ten chapters into the story. Special thanks to those who have stuck around since Day One or are just joining us now!_

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Event - Miss You - Sonic and the Secret Rings OST_**

 ** _(2) King Boom Boo - Sonic Adventure 2 OST_**

 ** _(3) Title Screen (Discovery) - Sonic Mania (Plus) OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **Blast from the Past**

After saving people from the invasion of Spagonia, The Secret Strikers have landed back on their HQ: Angel Island. Originally, Tails suggested that he and the others set up their base in his hometown, Mobotropolis, but he was afraid that place had quickly been overrun with Eggman's enemies, despite the fact that a group of Freedom Fighters live there. Knuckles offered everyone to stay at Angel Island since it had plenty of food, water, and shelter. It had some of Eggman's old technology that Tails was skilled enough to repair and it was spacious enough to fit as many people as they could.

Walking into their main office in Launch Base Zone, Clay, Skylar, Buster, and Emma were greeted to a place that was formally operated by Dr. Eggman himself.

They were taking a small tour with the resistance, hoping that they would be given a chance to rest after a long day. Behind Clay and Buster, Tails and Amy were making sure Uncle Chuck and Muttski were okay. The old hedgehog and the dog smiled, as they thanked the resistance for their acts of heroism.

Clay smiled at Uncle Chuck, heart-warmed that the hedgehog was safe.

The gang walked into another room, where they quickly heard someone grunting.

"Hello?" said a female with a British accent. "Can anyone hear me?... oh, dash it all!"

Everyone looked to the right and saw two people working on a computer.

The female was a teal-furred Pika with a shoulder-less black bodysuit which was covered by a long, light-brown jacket and matching gloves, as well as white and brown shoes. On her back was a backpack that matched her coat and a pair of purple spectacles, and had hair matching her fur that she kept in a lock. It stuck out from her forehead and in a bun on the back of her head.

Standing beside her was a Gizoid, but he wasn't an average Gizoid like Gemerl or Emerl. Speaking of the latter, the robot's appearance was similar to him, only he had more of an orange, yellow, and beige color. His chest was more-square shaped than Emerl's and he has no legs. His only mode of transportations was hovering through the air. His eyes were green, and he had a large square container on his back.

These two were Relic the Pika and Fixit: Knuckles' closest friends.

"Madam Relic," said the latter, as he gave the Secret Strikers a kind gesture. Emma bowed back. "Guardian Knuckles and the Secret Strikers are present."

"I told you to knock it off with the formalities, Fixit," Knuckles replied. Amy and Tails chuckled every time their commander said that. "What's wrong, Relic?"

"What's wrong!?" the Pika snarled. " _What's wrong!?_ Mobius has been taken over and I can't contact anyone on the surface through this blasted useless-and-yet-still-frustratingly-intriguing ancient interface!"

Relic shot up on her feet and swatted her arm. "I mean, I was attempting to see if there were any ancient data logs that might shed some light on Fixit here. But it seems Eggman overwrote most of the data when we landed, Fixit doesn't know what to do and I'm _ghastly_ at computers… so, I'm standing here like an absolute fool, unable to see if anyone is… is…"

Noticing that Knuckles was tapping his foot with a smirk on his face, she felt embarrassed. Relic saw the same grins on the rest of the team, except Clay, who didn't know what was happening.

"I'm babbling again, aren't I?" Relic nervously giggled.

"A little," Knuckles replied with a short smile. "But I'm used to that by now."

" ' _I'm used to that by now,'_ he says," Relic replied. Before she approached the rest of the team with Fixit by her side. "Welcome back, Secret Strikers, fruitful mission?"

"If by that, you mean we saved some people and kicked some butt, then yep!" Charmy replied.

"We showed those bozos who's boss!" Vector added, high-fiving Charmy.

"We also picked up some new recruits, Relic," Espio said, introducing the Pika to the new team members. "This is Sir Charles the Hedgehog and his apprentice, Ben Muttski. They're all friends of Sonic."

"Please to meet you, Dear Sir," Relic shook Chuck's hand. "I'm a fan of your work."

"Pleasure's all mine, Madam Relic," Chuck winked.

Espio showed the Pika the other four Rookies. "And these are our new Rookies: Skylar, Emma, Buster, Clay."

Clay stood in front of his gang and rested his hands behind his ears. "You can also call me, The Mighty Clay. But you may also call me amazing, spectacular, ultimate, just don't call me late for dinner. Ha ha, get it?"

Relic smirked at the rabbit. "My, quite the hot shot, aren't you?"

"Well, I am hot and I'm a good shot," said the rabbit.

Skylar, Gadget, and Fuchsia rolled their eyes and groaned.

The red wolf whispered to his leader. "I told you this was a bad idea. What were you thinking putting him on the team?"

"Hey!" Dakota entered the conversation with a blunt snarl. He poked his brother in the chest. "Don't you dare talk to your commander like that! If he wants the man on the team, he can be on the team! What part of that don't you understand?"

"But he blew up Freedom Heights!" Fuchsia retorted. Clay felt a drop of guilt in his stomach.

"I don't care!" Dakota yelled at Gadget's girlfriend. "Either do as your commander says or I'll bench you from the next mission!"

"Don't talk to my girlfriend like that, Dakota!" Gadget grunted, getting close to his brother's face.

"That's enough from the both of you!" Amy's shout carried throughout the room. The pink hedgehog stood in the middle; her emerald green eyes fixed on both wolves.

"Gadget, Dakota, I know both of you are upset about what happened to Freedom Heights," she said softly. "Clay may be boastful, but it's not fair to blame _just_ him for not disabling the bomb. We all wanted to do it, but Sonic chose to do it himself. He sacrificed himself to save us all. It's tragic what happened to Freedom Heights, but we need as many Secret Strikers as we could get."

Both wolves exchanged somber looks.

"Sorry," Dakota said.

"I need to get some air," Gadget said. He and his girlfriend exited Launch Base's fortress. The teal wolf bowed his head in shame, as Silver and Blaze patted him on the shoulder.

"Let him cool off for a bit, Dakota," Blaze said. "He needs some space."

"Exactly," Silver smiled. "We're all tired after a long day of fighting, so we probably need a good night's rest."

Vector yawned. "I could catch a few Z's right about now,"

"Rest up, everyone," Knuckles nodded. "We have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Corvin, why don't you get the Rookies set up in their dorm rooms."

Corvin nodded, as he guided his new friends out the door.

Team Chaotix, Silver, and Dakota joined them, as Blaze created a dimensional portal with the power of the Sol Emeralds.

"I'm going to check on the Sol Zone," she told them. "I'll be back in a few minutes, but I need to check on Marine. I want to make sure she's safe."

"Go right ahead, Blaze," Knuckles smiled. "Family is everything, you know?"

Blaze smiled at that comment, as she stepped inside the portal.

Just as Tails, Amy, and Knuckles went to get some rest, Relic and Fixit stopped them because they had something to tell them,

"Wait, guys," Relic said. "May we talk to you three for a second?"

The three heroes turned to her, listening to what she has to say.

Fixit walked over to a large monitor and pulled up a map of Westside Island. Looking at the map, the three fighters saw every location on the island: Casino Night, Chemical Plant, Emerald Hill, Hidden Palace, Metropolis, Mystic Cave, Royal Hills, and Wood Zone. All of the landmarks were colored green, but there was a blinking purple dot near a city labeled Mobotropolis. Tails raised his eyebrows, wondering why his hometown was blinking. Could it be an Eggman attack?

"While you were gone, Fixit and I detected some unknown energy signal coming from Mobotropolis," Relic's explanation furthered Tails' curiosity. "We tried to find out what it was, but we couldn't get any information."

"You think it could be that ruby on Infinite's chest?" Amy asked. Knuckles and Tails shrugged their shoulders.

"It's possible," Tails replied.

Knuckles turned to his teammates. "Tails, since you know that place better than anyone else, would you mind checking it out?"

Tails quickly nodded.

"Take Amy with you tomorrow morning," the echidna added. "You could use some backup."

Amy and Tails fist-bumped.

"In the meantime," Knuckles' loud yawn grossed out both Relic and Amy. "We should get some sleep."

"You're right," Tails nodded; he agreed to Knuckles' statement, but he was also sad thinking about that city. Not only was that the place he grew up in, but it was also the place he met Sonic for the first time. He rubbed his arms and proceeded to walk out of the room. Relic, Knuckles, and Fixit continued to stare at the screen. Amy noticed the look on Tails' face before he left; she wondered what was going on with him.

* * *

The next morning, Tails and Amy took the Tornado and arrived in Mobotropolis: the capital city of the Royal Hills Zone. The place was once ruled by King Nigel Acorn before Dr. Eggman took over the world.

As they walked around the city, Amy quickly noticed that it was a lot different than the cities she's been to in the past. Most of them she's visited were mainly just buildings that shined beautiful, colorful lights, and many people were walking around in business suits. Cars, buses, and other vehicles drove down the streets, honking their horns which interrupted everyone's quiet day.

Mobotropolis wasn't _that_ type of city.

The capital of the Kingdom of Acorn was a beautiful abode that had a perfect balance of modern technology and nature.

The ground was entirely grass and plants were growing on the sides. Sniffing the tulips, roses, and daises, Amy smiled as she looked up a beautiful, clear-blue, morning sky. Pressing her shoes against the grass, she peeked around and saw many buildings; none were too big, and none were too small.

"Wow," Amy said, amazed. "This place is amazing!"

She was right on that part; however, Mobotropolis wasn't as sensational it used to be. Usually, people would be walking around enjoying a sunny day, but after Eggman's coup, people were hiding in fear. Tails and Amy glanced over to a family of monkeys; they were cuddling beside an allyway, armed with baseball bats and crowbars.

The two heroes felt bad for the band of Mobians.

A group of teenage girls and boys were patrolling the city streets by riding on bicycles.

A female duck saluted them, as she rode with her friends around the block. The yellow fox returned the gesture.

"You really grew up in this place, Tails?" Amy asked with a smile. "Why haven't you told me about your home? It's amazing!" _**(1)**_

"Heh, I guess I never found a way to bring it up," Tails replied, rubbing his arm. "Mobotropolis was my home many years go. I lived in an orphanage and became friends with Muttski and a few others. It was really nice. Well, except when some people made fun of me because of my two tails of course." The fox's face turned to a frown again. His blue eyes turned to the side, staring at the ground.

Noticing this, Amy wrapped her arm around her friend and asked him, "Tails… is everything okay? I saw you feeling down about yourself yesterday."

The two-tailed kitsune gasped when she said that last part. He got nervous and started tapping his fingers together. Turning to Amy, he saw that her emerald green eyes were focused on his ocean blue eyes. He didn't know how to respond to her question. Should he go into a long, dramatic story or should he give a short explanation?

After some thought, he finally answered her. "S-sorry… It's just… every time I think of this place, I'm always remembered of when I first met Sonic. He and I grew up in this city with our other friends. We were part of a group called the Knothole Freedom Fighters, where we fought off the forces of Dr. Eggman and his nephew, Julian Snively. I was too young to fight at first, but Sonic… he was always there for me. I taught me how to defend myself and how to save others… he was like a big brother to me."

Amy was silent.

And Tails continued. "I know his death was a long time ago, but once in a while, I still feel guilty for not being there. I could have flew up there and diffused the bomb. I could have made Uncle Chuck proud and saved Sonic… but instead… I failed him."

Pulling the young genius into a warm hug, Amy said, "You haven't failed Sonic… it's not your fault what happened six months ago… he saved you because he knew you would step up and do the right thing in the end… if he were here right now, he would be so proud of you, knowing that you're fighting alongside us to free our world from Eggman's clutches."

Tears pricked at the corners of Tails' eyes upon hearing Amy's words. He sniffed, "T-thanks, Amy," he wiped his eyes and hugged her back. "I'll do everything I can to help you guys!"

Amy smiled and placed her head on top of Tails', as she held the fox close.

The two of them hugged for a bit until something decided to ruin their moment. _**(1s)**_

A pool of water rose up from a sewer lid from below; it was Chaos.

Tails was the first to spot him and he gasped. He released Amy from his arms and pointed to him. Looking over her shoulder, Amy whipped out her hammer and wielded it at the water god, as he transformed into Chaos 0. But he wasn't the only one here; Shadow the Hedgehog leaped down from above and landed beside his teammate.

Both Freedom Fighters raised their weapons.

"Easy there," Shadow said, raising his hand as an act of peace. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Really? Cause _we_ wanna _hurt_ you!" Amy snarled. "How could you and Chaos betray us like this!? I thought we were your friends!"

Suddenly, civilians hid behind the buildings with make-shift weapons such as baseball bats, garbage can lids, and other items in hand. They slowly watched the confrontation go down.

"Listen," Shadow said. "It's hard to explain. Chaos and I aren't working with the Eggman Empire,"

Chaos nodded.

"We have our reasons for doing this," Shadow said.

A squad of skunks emerged from the shadows and charged at Chaos; the watery God turned around and splashed them down. He didn't injure them severely, but he knocked them down. This prompted Tails, Amy, and other pedestrians to start attacking. _**(2)**_

"You idiot!" Shadow snarled at his teammate. "I thought I told you we weren't hurting anyone!"

Chaos shrugged his shoulders in apology.

Tails raised his arm cannon and shot the creature in the chest.

Amy swatted her hammer at Shadow's head. To which, he ducked underneath and rolled to the side.

From there, a group of cats, dogs, and lynxes shouted at him, as they rushed towards him with fists of rage. Shadow's eyes widened, as he found himself in a dilemma; like Chaos, he didn't want to hurt anyone, but he needed to disarm them. An orange lynx raised a baseball bat and slammed it against Shadow, only for the hedgehog to block it with his Inhibitor Rings. He disarmed the lynx and kicked him back as gently as he could.

He leaped over and countered more pedestrians before Amy suddenly landed a hit on him; she sent him flying against a table and three chairs.

Rushing near him, Amy jumped up and created a Pink Tornado. The wave of wind caught Shadow, as it pulled him off the ground. Spinning around uncontrollably, Shadow grunted and groaned before Amy slammed him into the ground with her foot.

"Traitor!" she cried, as she continued fighting him.

Shadow just blocked Amy's attacks because he didn't want to injure her. "Will you listen to me for one second!?"

Amy smacked Shadow across the face.

"Guess you won't," the black hedgehog wiped his face, as he teleported behind Amy. The Piko Piko Valkyrie tried to hit him, but he kept teleporting out of the way.

"Quit teleporting and fight like a man!" she called out, just as Shadow pushed her against the ground. She dropped her hammer in the process. "Fine! I'll take you on with or without my- _Argh!_ " Shadow grabbed the hammer and smacked Amy in the chest.

"Please, don't make me continue this nonsense!" Shadow said. "I just wanna talk!"

Amy curled into a spin dash and boosted into the black hedgehog's chest. "Since when can you do _that!?_ " he shouted.

Meanwhile, Tails and Chaos were in a fight against each other. Lashing out his wrecking ball chain, Tails hacked and slashed Chaos' body until he kicked him in the brain. Chaos grabbed the fox's foot, swung him around, and tossed him against the ground.

More civilians jumped into the donnybrook, but Chaos took care of them with ease.

Tails quickly recovered and shot bolts of electricity at Chaos. "I'll make you pay for killing my brother!" he threatened the creature, as he used his twin tails to spin attack him. He knocked the God onto the ground, but he was quickly washed away thanks to Chaos' power. Trapped in a pool of water, Tails landed on the ground, gasping for air.

Chaos realized what he had done, so he rushed over to help the fox, but that got him shot in the chest.

"Back off!" Tails snarled. He watched Chaos land on his back.

Amy landed beside Tails with her hammer back in her hand. Shadow approached them and ordered Chaos to stop attacking.

"Stand down!" he demanded. "We just wanna talk!"

Tails and Amy glanced at one another before they thought about their next plan.

When all of a sudden… _**(2s)**_

 _ **VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!**_

A large purple portal covered in red sparks appeared near a building. A violent wind brushed against Tails and Amy's fur. Shadow and Chaos shielded themselves from the wind, as they saw something appear from the black hole inside. It was a blue hedgehog.

"No," Shadow said, amazed. "It can't be." _**(3)**_

Classic Sonic: Hero of Classic Sonic's World also called the Mania Zone rushed out of the portal and jumped into the air. He homing attacked Chaos' head and caused him to drop into a pool of water.

Shadow didn't know what to do. Sonic the Hedgehog was alive, but how could that be? Tails and Amy asked the same question. The young Sonic landed in front of Shadow and spun dashed into his chest, knocking him out. _**(3s)**_

It was at that moment where he landed on the ground, showing off his short size, blue quills, and black eyes. Classic Sonic cracked his fingers and stared at the two villains.

"Wow!" he said, dazed. He rubbed his head. "That was one Mondo adventure. What a wild ride! I heard all these freaky voices in my head and saw all sorts of freaky stuff. Totally past cool!"

"This isn't possible," Amy cupped her hands together.

Shadow whipped out a Chaos Emerald and held is in his hand. "Chaos Control!"

He and Chaos teleported out of the area with a flash of light.

"Aww, over already?" Classic Sonic complained, kicking the grass. "I just got here… wow. Is it me or did Green Hill get bigger… and more industrial? How long was I in that portal?"

He turned around and was greeted to flabbergasted looks on Tails and Amy's faces. Noticing that his friends were a lot taller and looked more modern, he stroked his chin and approached them. He walked around them and analyze their new characteristics.

"Tails? Rosy?" he asked. "Wow, you guys got tall! You've been working out?"

The Freedom Fighters exchanged a glance.

"I guess I won't have to call you _'little bro'_ anymore, eh, big bro?" Classic Sonic chuckled. "And Rosy, wow you look… great! I mean, that's not to say you didn't look great before but… wow! Did you cut your hair?"

Amy rubbed her quills, as her cheeks blushed red. This Mini-Sonic just called her beautiful and she didn't know how to react. "Sonic?" she asked. "Y-you're alive?"

"Alive?" the young Sonic inquired, rubbing his head. "What do you mean by that?"

"Wait, I get it now," Tails snapped his fingers. "You're that Sonic from the Time Eater incident, aren't you?"

Classic Sonic cocked his head to the right. "Uh… Time what?"

"The Time Eater. Remember when both Eggman and Robotnik teamed up and ruined your older self's birthday party?" Tails asked. "It's good to see you again!"

Classic Sonic was silent.

"You don't remember? It was when you and older you ran around different zones?"

The young Sonic said nothing.

"You two met each other in that mirror world?"

Still no word.

"You fell on your face when you homing attacked?"

Nothing.

"None of this rings a bell?"

Classic Sonic shrugged. "Hey, I'm sorry, Tails. But I don't remember any of that. You must have me confused with another good-looking hedgehog. Speaking of which, yours truly is getting hungry, do you know anywhere we could eat?"

Tails and Amy shared another look.

* * *

Inside a restaurant titled Uncle Chuck's Diner, Classic Sonic took a bite into a delicious chili dog. He ordered three of them with a side of fries. Tails and Amy were sitting across from him with a burger and some onion rings.

They awkwardly watched the young hedgehog sink his teeth into his food.

"Mm-mm," the hero said in satisfaction. His face was covered in chili. "I love this chili dog… so much!"

Licking his fingers, he took a bite of his fries. "Where I come from, there was a place similar to this that closed down months ago. I'm not sure why because they had the best dogs in the whole world-"

His sentence was cut off as soon as beaver in a chef's uniform placed a check on the table.

"You two have money on you, right?" the hedgehog asked. "I'm not very liquid right now… actually, I'm not liquid at all."

The two Freedom Fighters said nothing. How was this possible? A Sonic who looks like the one from the past doesn't remember who they are, and he arrived in their world via a magic portal. Something had to be going on here. Tails and Amy looked at each other for the millionth time, as they gave the hedgehog an awkward smile.

"So… how did you get here?" Amy asked, rubbing her head.

Classic Sonic swallowed his fries and answered. "Long story short. Dr. Rob-butt-nik discovered some ruby on Angel Island. It had the ability to change time and space or something."

Tails and Amy's eyes popped out of their sockets; was he talking about the ruby Eggman used to kill _their_ Sonic?

"Knuckles, Tails, Rosy, and I chased him down to his new fortress, where I went toe-to-toe with him as Super Sonic. After showing off my way past cool moves, I boosted into the ruby at supersonic speed, when suddenly… _WHAM!_ The thing knocks the Chaos Emeralds out of me and opens a portal! I go inside and hear all these weird voices in my head. I see these rings that looked like they lead to other worlds and then… wouldn't you know it?" he took a bite of his chili dog. "I end up here with you guys… could one of you pass the ketchup?"

Tails passed him the condiment. "So, what you're saying is… you're from another universe?"

Classic Sonic poured ketchup on his fries. "Yep! It's called the Mania Zone. I know it sounds weird, but a lot of crazy stuff happens there so it's understandable."

Stroking his chin, the young genius prepared to make an absurd conclusion. "Maybe… maybe this power that our Eggman is using is affecting other dimensions."

Amy raised an eyebrow. Classic Sonic was confused.

"What now?" Amy asked.

"Which might work to our advantage!" Tails smiled in excitement. He spoke to his young ally. "I mean, everything happens for a reason, right? We need to save the world and maybe that's why you're here! To _help_ save the world!"

Amy closed her eyes and shook her head. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down there, Tails. That's a little astute."

Classic Sonic ate more of his fries. "Wait, what is going on here? I'm not saying I _don't_ wanna help you guys out, but I gotta ask. Where is your world's Sonic? Is he around here? Is he as handsome as I am?"

Both Secret Strikers lowered their faces and looked into each other's eyes. They wanted to answer the hedgehog's question, but they didn't how to explain it without being haunted by old memories. They whispered to each other privately before they came clean.

"He's gone…" Tails said. "Eggman defeated him."

Classic Sonic gave Tails an awkward look at first before he finally gave his response.

He laughed.

 _ **"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"**_

Tails and Amy widened their eyes. Was he seriously laughing at someone else's death?

Classic Sonic slammed his hands on the table, as tears of laughter poured out of his eyes. Amy was concerned whereas Tails was angry. The two-tailed fox clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.

"What's so funny?" he snarled.

"You're joking, right?" the young Sonic continued laughing. "You're telling me that I landed in a world where that _giant talking egg_ defeats me!?" Gently slamming his palm against the table, he covered his eyes and felt more tears drip down his face. "That's freakin' brilliant!"

Just as he took another bite of his chili dog, Tails smacked his basket of fries to the side.

"How could you even think something like that _is funny!?_ " Tails snarled. Classic Sonic became frightened. "I'm shocked you could even find Sonic's death amusing. I thought you were here to save the world, but if you're going to be an obnoxious jerk about it, then _we don't need your help at all!_ "

Tails exited the booth and stormed out the door, a loud slam echoed throughout the restaurant.

The cobalt hedgehog watched as his older brother walked out in anger. He turned to Amy and wiped his face.

"Wait a minute," he said, feeling guilty for what he did. "It's true?"

Amy nodded. "Six months ago, there was a bomb planted in a city near Green Hill. Sonic tried to stop it, but it exploded before he could get there in time… Dr. Eggman and a jackal named Infinite took over the world shortly after Sonic's death."

Classic Sonic was flabbergasted to hear this news. At first, he thought this was a joke, but after hearing the details; he couldn't believe it. A dimensional counterpart of himself was killed by his sworn enemy. He knew that if that was the case, something was wrong. He thought about how someone as dumb as Eggman could ever kill another version of him. Looking back, he watched as Tails took a seat near the store in front of the diner; he had his face buried into his hands and knees.

"Little tidbit: you should really think before you speak," Amy suggested.

"I… I'm so sorry," the young Sonic apologized with a frown. "I didn't mean to be so insensitive. If there's anything I could do to help, I can. What kind of guy would I be if I didn't help people in need?"

"It's fine, but I'm not the one you should be apologizing too," Amy said. She got up from her chair and started heading towards the door. "I'm going to talk to him for a bit."

Classic Sonic nodded, as the older Rosy left the diner. "Wait… ah, man! She left me with the bill!"

* * *

Outside, Amy approached Tails, who was still lost in his thoughts.

"Hey," she said gently. Tails raised his head. To which, he revealed his red, bloated cheeks. His eyes were watery, and tears dropped down his face. His twin-tails were curled into each other. Amy sat down next to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulder, pulling him into a one-armed hug. "You okay?"

"Can you believe that guy!?" Tails grunted. "I mean, he comes here to help us save the world and he has the _nerve_ to laugh at Sonic's death!"

Amy sighed. "He probably thought you were joking."

"Joking?" Tails growled. "Did I look like I was wearing white make-up going, _'Hey, Lil' Blue, you wanna know how I got these scars?'_ "

"Did you just call him Lil' Blue?"

"Well, I can't call him Sonic because he's _not_ Sonic!"

Amy shook her head. "He _is_ a Sonic."

"Not our Sonic!"

Rubbing her eyes, Amy continued. "Tails, listen… I appreciate your optimism, but I am not sure if fate brought him here to help us. It sounds like he showed up here on accident."

Tails was silent.

"But he looked at me and told me that he's willing to help us out," Amy resumed. "That's gotta mean something, right?"

Tails said nothing because he was watching Lil' Blue come out of the restaurant. He approached the two and gave a small wave. "Hey, guys," he greeted; he saw a glare in Tails' eyes. "Listen, older Tails… I didn't mean to offend you. I shouldn't have insulted your dimension's Sonic; he sounds like a great guy… I may not be your Sonic, but I am more than willing to help you guys… and I also need a way to get home."

Tails and Amy raised an eyebrow.

"I have hunch the Phantom Ruby; the gem my Eggman found, is connected to what got your Sonic killed. And I need it to get me back to my own world. I will help you guys take back your world, but only if you help me get back to mine… what do you guys say, deal?"

Lil' Blue offered his hand.

Tails was hesitant to let this Sonic shake his hand, but at the same time, he was not one to hold grudges. Lil' Blue did laugh at Sonic's death, yes, but he told the fox he wanted to help. And in return, the Secret Strikers would get him back home.

The two-tailed fox wiped his eyes and nodded, as he shook the young hedgehog's hand.

"I'm still mad at you," he said. "But you have a deal."

The two shook hands, when suddenly, something occurred beneath the surface; the ground started shaking.

 _ **RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!**_

The trees started bouncing, buildings were starting to jump, and people were tripping over themselves. An earthquake was happening in Mobotropolis, which shouldn't be possible.

Amy, Lil' Blue, and Tails hopped and stumbled backward down the store's steps, landing against the grass. They tried to get back up, but they found it hard to do so because of how violent and rapid the earthquake was. Lil' Blue looked over and saw a piece of a building collapse; it was heading towards a civilian. He zoomed over there at super speed and rescued the person. He returned back to his friends.

"This is Mondo crazy!" he said. "What's going on here?"

As if this earthquake wasn't strange enough, a giant blue building shot from the ground and sprinkled dirt all over the place. The three Mobians moved over and watched as a massive skyscraper with a picture of Dr. Robotnik appeared. He was sitting next to the words, _"Eggman TV."_

Lil' Blue knew what that building was. "Wait… is that?"

Before he could check it out, more buildings and other industrial landmarks sprouted from the ground like trees growing from a tiny seed. Lil' Blue bounced back, as towers will colorful, neon lights continued to spawn from the ground.

"Run!" he shouted to the others. He, Tails, and Amy took off running before a large bus with a satellite dish attached to it crashed against the ground in front of them. It tumbled around, as the heroes made their way to the city's exit. A bunch of civilians were doing the same. Tails and Amy gathered the group together, as Lil' Blue looked behind him.

He saw billboards with Robotnik-themed movie advertisements on the rooftops and colorful pathways leading to loop de loops. Knowing exactly what geographical location was coming from the ground, he escaped with Tails and Amy by his side.

As soon as everyone raced into the Royal Hills, they all jumped down and heard a loud rumble come from the city.

Eventually, the earthquake stopped.

Amy, Tails, and Lil' Blue awoke and slowly got up, helping the civilians up on their feet.

Just then, a young male dragon gasped and showed his parents what happened to his home. The parents gasped and so did everybody else. Tails wondered what it was until Amy poked him on the shoulder. Lil' Blue was in astonishment.

Turning around, Tails was introduced to a location from Lil' Blue's world: Studiopolis Zone.

Mobotropolis had now become merged with Studiopolis, meaning they are now a high skyscraper city decorated with studio equipment, cinema elements, and theater objects.

A color-filled city with tall buildings filled to the rim with movie-themed accessories spooked the citizens below. Parts of their home were still there, but the fact that this new location randomly combined with it scared them. They had no idea what to do about this nor did they know if the place was suitable to live in.

The only thing Tails, Amy, and Lil' Blue could say about this was, " _HOLY CHILI CHEESE DOGS!_ "

* * *

Inside Launch Base Zone, the Secret Strikers had the same reaction as their teammates.

Relic and Fixit were scanning through a topographical map of Mobius. The resistance noticed that the planet went through some drastic changes after the earthquake happened. But the changes only occurred in certain areas.

As the Pika and the Gizoid scanned through the map, Knuckles, Team Chaotix, Silver, Blaze, and Tails shared looks of confusion and worry. They wondered if these new places were dangerous. Lil' Blue sat beside the fox, as he recognized all the zones that popped up.

"Mobius has completely changed!" Relic said, shocked. "Certain places have merged with locations I've never seen before whereas other zones have gotten bigger! Green Hill and Chemical Plant have gotten three times larger, this desert place has merged with Shamar,"

"That's Mirage Saloon," Lil' Blue said. "It has this bar with some pretty good milk."

"A snowy garden combined with White Peak and there are two Little Planets!" Relic's voice shook as she spoke.

"Press Garden Zone is nice," Lil' Blue said. "Kind of cold, but nice. As with two Little Planets, that's just freaky."

Knuckles stepped up to the map. "How is this possible?"

"It's just as I predicted when Lil' Blue showed up here," Tails stroked his chin.

"Wait, did he just call me Lil' Blue?" the hedgehog asked.

Tails walked around the desk and spoke to his friends, "Whatever power Eggman is using must be affecting other dimensions because Lil' Blue told us that these places come from his world."

Everyone looked at the short, chubby hedgehog. He nodded.

"But my question is," Tails stopped walking. "Why is this happening now?"

Just then, a large Warp Ring spawned in the back corner of the room; a light emulated from the golden band and scared the team. Espio pulled out his dagger while Vector and Charmy gasped. Silver and Blaze stood back. Amy took out her hammer. Relic and Fixit cowered in fear. Tails aimed his weapon. And Lil' Blue cracked his fingers.

But inside the wormhole, two figures walked out and stepped inside the room.

The two were wearing red, gold, and green armor for attire. They had bright green visors covering their eyes and little red wings on their helmets. But the aspect that surprised everyone the most was that the two looked exactly like Vector and Espio.

"W-what the!?" Vector gasped.

"Whoa, those guys look like Espio and Vector!" Charmy pointed.

The Espio and Vector look-a-likes came near the Secret Strikers to introduce themselves.

Vector approached his clone and smiled. "Why, hello there, Cool Croc. You're looking great today!"

The armored crocodile wrapped his arm around his counterpart. "Same to you, dude! I didn't realize I was a total stud in this dimension!"

Espio approached his clone. "What is the first rule of being a ninja?"

The clone answered. "Blend into the shadows."

Both chameleons stared at each other before the real Espio smiled.

"I like you," Espio smiled.

Knuckles stepped forward and grunted at the clones of his friends. "All right, you two have about five seconds to tell us who you are, before I start to lose my mind!"

The armored chameleon was the first to speak. "My name is Zespio and this is my partner, Zector. We come from the No Zone to find Sonic the Hedgehog."

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 10**_

* * *

 _So, not only do we get the return of Classic Sonic or Lil' Blue from Chapter 4, but we also get the arrival of Zespio and Zector of the No Zone. What the heck is the No Zone and what could these two want with Sonic? Are they talking about the young one? Find out next time, as we finally explore what our blue hero is going through in..._

 _"Chapter 11: Prisoner of Mobius."_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _For those who are big fans of the Archie Sonic series, you will recognize Zespio and Zector. With these two being introduced, I'm sure you can infer which Zone Cop will be in Chapter 11._

 _So, in the Sonic Forces game, Tails says that the Phantom Ruby might be messing with other dimensions. I thought we were going to see some dimensional counterparts of certain characters when we played the game like Classic Sonic for an example, but seeing as how generic and rushed the game turned out that didn't happen. After watching Into the Spider Verse and other movies dealing with dimensional travel, I've decided to explore that concept introduced in the actual game._

 _For anyone wondering if Sally and the Freedom Fighters are gonna show up. Sadly no, I'm saving them for Sonic Heroes 2. Yep, I'm announcing that this is getting a sequel._

 _Yeah, I've decided to make Mania Sonic in this story from another dimension instead of the one from the past. Why? It makes thing a lot easier to work with._

 _As always, thanks for taking the time to read. Leave a favorite, follow, and a review and let me know what you liked and what I could improve on. I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you all next time!_


	11. Prisoner of Mobius

_**A/N:** Trigger Warning: There is a joke in here that may tick off some people, so I'm just gonna give off a trigger warning._

 _ **Suggested Music:**_

 _ **(1) Wave of Darkness - Kingdom Hearts 3 OST  
**_

 _ **(2) Terminal Velocity - Sonic Colors OST**_

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

 ** _*This chapter has been edited as of 5/4/2019_**

* * *

 **Prisoner of Mobius**

"…ey… ake up…"

He remembered what happened six months ago. But it was hard for him to replay the memories because his senses were fuzzy. His vision was hazy, and he had no idea where he was.

"…Please, wake up…"

That voice sounded an awful lot like his own voice. How was that possible? He adjusted his eyes to see where he was. The area was bright and colorful. It was as though someone was throwing a party. Then, he turned his eyes and saw floating squares of the listed colors flying around him.

"What the heck?" he moaned, as he started to get up. "What is this place?"

Hero of Mobius: Sonic the Hedgehog awoken from his coma and found himself in a digital-like world with floating platforms and cyan/white cubes that shot across the black sky. Almost the entire world was infested with colored squares. He was standing on a purple platform with blue and red shadows.

Walking forward, Sonic rubbed his head and his vision became clear again.

"Tails?... Knuckles?... Amy?" Sonic shouted into the air; his voice echoed loudly. "Silver?... Blaze?... Chaotix?... Hello?"

Nobody answered him; he was alone.

Well, except for a lone figure that stood in the distance.

Sonic saw him and identified him as the jackal that bombed Freedom Heights: Infinite. Said jackal was standing far from him; Sonic saw him from his backside. Getting flashbacks of what happened six months prior, Sonic slapped his fist against his palm, as he started to charge at the canine.

But before he could rev up, somebody grabbed him and pulled him aside.

Sonic grabbed the person by the shoulder and held him back, as he prepared to punch him. But he suddenly stopped once he saw who it was. He was looking at himself, only he was wearing red, yellow, and green armor. He had red wings on top of his head. The Sonic clone pulled up his green visor and smiled at his counterpart.

"What's up, Sonic?" he greeted. "About time you woke up. I was afraid you'd be trapped in Virtual Reality forever."

Sonic released his doppelganger. "Why, hello there, handsome… wait a second, Virtual Reality?"

"It's a long story," said the armored hedgehog. "First…" He reached into a holster on his side and took out a blaster. Cocking the weapon, he shot a blast of blue energy at Infinite, blowing him into red cubes. Sonic gasped and stood back.

"It's okay," the Sonic clone said. "He was an illusion. But he isn't the only one around here."

"Who are you?" Sonic asked.

"My name is Zonic the Zone Cop. I come from the No Zone to inform you that your world is in danger."

* * *

And Zonic told his Mobius Prime counterpart everything. Every little detail that summed up how the Phantom Ruby wound up in Dr. Eggman's possession.

"So, that's how Egghead got his greasy fingers on the Phantom Ruby," Sonic snarled, as he clapped his fists together. "When I get my hands on Baldy McNosehair, he's gonna- "

"Save the fighting for later," Zonic said, calming the hero down. "First, you need to get out of here."

"Yeah, before I go," Sonic shrugged his shoulders. "May I ask, if you knew that I survived the explosion, why didn't you show up in my zone sooner? You could have helped diffuse the bomb."

"I was about to head down to your zone to fix everything," Zonic explained. "But because of the Phantom Ruby's pulse, my home was overrun by a green hedgehog that looked just like you. He said something about wanting to expand his empire."

Sonic cocked his head to the side.

"But that's a story for another day," Zonic said. "You need to wake up."

"How?" Sonic asked. "It's not like I could just pinch myself, so that I'll wake up."

Zonic rolled his eyes until he snapped his fingers; a grin painted across his face. He reached into his holster and pulled out his gun. He aimed it at Sonic. To which, the hedgehog jumped back.

"Whoa, dude! Whaddya doing!?" Sonic shouted.

"This may sting a little, but it's the only way to wake you up," Zonic nodded. He placed on his visor. "Hold still, this might… oh, no."

"What's the matter?"

The armored mammal pointed over the blue blur's shoulder. The latter looked in that direction and saw that another illusion of Infinite was behind him; his whole body was surrounded by red cubes. On his wrists were two swords made of said cubes. Both hedgehogs gulped, as the Zone Cop raised his blaster. _**(1)**_

"Move!" Zonic shouted, as Infinite boosted foward and shot his cubes at them. With their super speed, both Sonics leaped out of the way and found themselves chased around by the cubes. Infinite raised his arms and snapped his fingers, causing the cubes to transform into giant hands.

Zonic pulled the trigger and shot multiple lasers, but Infinite shielded himself and fired back at the cop. Sonic ran over and pushed the Zone Cop out of the way. Both hedgehogs suddenly curled into a spin dash and rushed against the purple ground. They both jumped up and homing attacked Infinite's face. Sonic grabbed onto the jackal's dreadlocks and yanked them down, causing the illusion to scream. Zonic lunged forward and kicked the jackal in the chest. He pressed his gun against his chest and shot him; his whole body turned into a set of cubes.

But the battle wasn't over yet.

Flowing around like a squadron of insects, the cubes transformed back into hands and started punching the ground, making an earthquake. Both hedgehogs jumped up whenever the hands smacked the ground, as they attacked them with brute force.

But even with their combined strength, Virtual Reality was too powerful.

"Shoot, man!" Sonic said. "How much of a hit can these blocks take?"

"We're stuck inside Virtual Reality," Zonic said. "In here, we have no control over anything!" He shot projectiles before rolling to the side. Sonic hopped over one of the hands and stomped on it in his ball form. The two hedgehogs began running away from the cubes at rapid speed, but the blocks miraculously caught up to them.

"Seriously?" Sonic shouted in annoyance, as he and Zonic jumped to opposite sides and heard a loud crash against the ground. The two regrouped and attacked the virtual monster together, but they still weren't powerful enough to take it down. "Come on, man! Just stay down already!... Great, I'm talking to giant cubes! That's how insane I've gotten!"

Zonic shot at the cubes before he glanced at Sonic; he had the get him out of here because the real world needed him, the people needed him, his family needed him. Aiming his gun, he noticed that Sonic was looking right at him.

Sonic shook his hands in fear. "No, wait!"

 _ **BAM! (1s)**_

* * *

Sonic shot awake with a loud gasp. He took several heavy breaths before he found out where he was located. He was locked inside of a healing chamber in a storage room. The glass he looked through wasn't as clear as it should be, but Sonic could tell what was inside the closet. Shelves of boxes full of supplies were plastered all over the walls. Boxes with labels that read, _"Selfies," "Infinite's Toast," "Shadow's Hopes and Dreams,"_ and _"Zavok's Cupcakes."_

Cringing at all the labels, Sonic tried to lift his arm up so he could open the door, but he felt as if something pinched that part of his body. In fact, he felt sore all over.

He figured that being in a coma took a lot out of him and the lack of exercise made his body ache.

Pushing against the glass with his hands, he put all his strength into his efforts, but he was too exhausted to do anything. As a solution, he flexed his shoulders and bent his knees a bit, trying to restore circulation in his body. Twitching his toes and fingers, most of his body was healing.

But just as he cracked open the chamber, he heard voices on the other side.

Gasping, he pulled the glass door closed and pretended to sleep.

The door opened and Shadow the Hedgehog entered with Rouge the Bat and E-123 Omega. The latter was wearing an apron that said, _"Chef Omega"_ and he had a hat that said the same thing.

"SHADOW," Omega said. "WHY DID YOU TAKE ME AWAY FROM THE CAFETERIA? I WAS SERVING CUPCAKES TO ALL THE WORKERS."

"I need to talk to you two," Shadow replied. Sonic opened one eye and saw Team Dark talking. "I… I tried to talk to Tails and Amy this morning. They were in Mobotropolis."

"Let me guess, they wiped the floor with you?" Rouge smirked.

"No need to rub it in!" Shadow snarled.

"Well, I _did_ tell you talking to them directly was a bad idea. You basically betrayed them six months ago," Rouge replied.

"Let's not forget that we're all part of this! You may not have been there during the bombing, but all three of agreed to _'serve under the Eggman Empire.'_ "

Sonic noticed Shadow's quote-on-quote motion.

"And I told you that I hate it!" Rouge retorted. "We've spent most of our time in this stupid space station, doing nothing but boss around prisoners that we should be saving!"

"I told you that we're going to save them, but we need to wait for the right time!" Shadow yelled.

"WOULD ANY OF YOU LIKE SOME CUPCAKES?" Omega asked, as he reached behind him and pulled out a tray of cupcakes. "I BAKED THEM WITH LOVE."

Sonic cringed at the new Omega. Why was he acting this way?

Shadow pulled out a box from the shelf that was filled with sand. "Omega, count how much sand is in this box."

"OKAY," the formerly destructive robot replied. "ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE-"

"Now, why would you make him do that?" Rouge asked.

"It's to keep him occupied," Shadow replied. "Back on topic, not only did Chaos and I fail at our attempts of peace, but we also discovered something new. There was another Sonic in Mobotropolis."

Sonic's eyes widened.

"What do you mean another Sonic?" Rouge asked.

"TEN, ELEVEN, TWELVE, THIRTEEN," Omega continued counting.

"Some portal opened up and a small Sonic appeared. I'm not sure what happened next, but just as Chaos and I got back to the Death Egg, we discovered something on the map. Apparently, new zones no one's seen before appeared on the surface."

"Where did they come from?" Rouge inquired.

"I'm not sure,"

Rouge walked over to Sonic's chamber; the hedgehog pretended to sleep.

"We need to get him back home, Shadow," Rouge said with a stern tone. "The Secret Strikers need him."

"We'll get caught if we try to sneak him out," Shadow said, as he approached the "unconscious" hedgehog. Speaking of which, Sonic shot his eyes open and kicked the glass door open; he blasted through and kicked Shadow in the face while glass shards dropped on the floor. Sonic grabbed Shadow by his chest fur and growled. _**(2)**_

"This is for Freedom Heights!" Sonic punched Shadow in the face before kicking him against the wall. Rouge intervened to calm him down, but Sonic tripped her off her feet by sweeping her heels. She landed on her back. Omega turned around and saw the hedgehog fighting his friends.

Sonic locked eyes with Omega.

"WOULD YOU LIKE A CUPCAKE?" the robot asked gently.

Kindly taking one, Sonic ate the cupcake and kicked down the door. He ran outside and down the hall.

Shadow and Rouge got up and ran out the door. They grabbed Omega by his apron and pulled him with them.

* * *

As he ran down the hall, Sonic realized that he was locked in a familiar place. He was trapped inside Dr. Eggman's deadliest fortress: The Death Egg. A fortress he's wrecked too many times to count. From the time he helped Knuckles get the Master Emerald back to the time Sonic and Tails infiltrated it when Metal Sonic returned for the millionth time, Sonic has had a fair share of experience in this space station.

The Deadly Six, who were talking about getting their revenge on Sonic for humiliating them on the Lost Hex, watched as the hedgehog ran by them. But there was something odd about Sonic's running speed; he wasn't going as fast as he should be. He was just running at normal speed.

Taking a bite of a chicken leg, Zomom pointed out the hedgehog. "Hey! That little blue guy's escaping!"

"He's awake!" Zavok shouted in panic. He rushed to the alarm and smashed it with his fist. An obnoxious wail filled the entire space station which forced Sonic to cover his ears.

The six Zeti chased after him; their footsteps echoed.

Sonic turned around and saw that the Deadly Six were catching up to him, which shouldn't be.

He looked down at his speed and increased his accelerations, but for some reason, he wasn't going any faster than he was. _What the heck is going on here!? Why am I not going fast!?_

 _ **BUMP!**_

The blue hedgehog wound up bumping into Metal Sonic's back. The latter turned around and extended his claws. Swatting at his doppelganger, Metal kicked the hedgehog to the ground and tried to stab him, bit Sonic swept Metal off his feet. He then dodged an attack from Zazz before rolling underneath Zomom's ground pound.

Master Zik chucked his staff at him, but he missed because Sonic caught it and smacked the old Zeti on his head.

Zeena raced towards the hedgehog in an attempt to grab him, but Rouge "accidentally" tripped her on her feet. "Hey!" the green Zeti snarled.

"Oops," Rouge chuckled, cupping her hand over her mouth.

Shadow and Omega arrived on the scene, watching Sonic fight off the Deadly Six and Metal.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" Shadow snarled. He and Rouge tried to get involved in the fight.

Zomom grabbed the blue hedgehog and allowed his brother, Zavok to uppercut him. Sonic shot into the ceiling and grabbed one of the pipes above. Metal flew up there and landed on the pipe with his feet. Sonic gasped and started climbing upward as fast as he could; he didn't know where he was going, but he needed to get away from here. Metal jumped up and tried to scratch him, but all he did was leave claw marks on the walls. Sonic kicked Metal across the face, just as Shadow teleported to his location. He grabbed Sonic and teleported back to the ground. To which, Sonic kicked him across the face.

Rouge swooped from above and grabbed Sonic by his arms, flipping him over in the process. Tumbling across the metal floor, Sonic recovered and fired a punch at Rouge. She blocked it and trapped him in an arm-lock.

"Take an easy, Big Blue," she whispered in his ear. "We're not your enemies."

"Really?" Sonic said sarcastically. "Says the one who let Freedom Heights get bombed!"

Stepping on Rouge's foot, Sonic kicked her to the side and jumped over Chaos, who heard the ruckus and came to attack. Zavok and the Deadly Six ambushed the hedgehog and started beating him up. Shadow "accidentally" grabbed the Zazz and Zeena and threw them off Sonic.

"What's your problem, dude!?" Zazz snarled.

"Sorry, but I want a piece of the action!" Shadow retorted. Sonic bounced back up and fended off the remaining Zeti and Shadow. But as he made a run for the hallway, Infinite showed up and smacked the hero across the face. Sonic landed on the ground and looked into the eyes of the jackal.

" _YOU!_ " Sonic howled at the top of his lungs. He tackled the jackal and began punching his face. " _YOU. BOMBED. MY. HOME!_ "

Infinite blocked Sonic's attack and shot him in the chest with an energy blast from the Phantom Ruby. Landing, back-first, against the wall, Sonic fell on his stomach and tried to get back up. It was at that moment where he noticed that something was wrapped around his gloves; light-blue Inhibitor Rings aka the reason why he wasn't going fast.

"Where'd these come from?" he asked himself, as he tried to yank them off. Infinite lashed out his claws and approached the hedgehog. Sonic got up to land a punch, but the Inhibitor Rings on him started glowing. Soon enough, they stopped him by electrocuting him. " _ARRRRRRRRRRGH!_ "

Infinite stopped, as the hedgehog fell on his back. _**(2s)**_

"That's enough, Infinite!" Someone called from behind; it was Dr. Eggman himself. He, Orbot, and Cubot walked to the weakened hedgehog. The rest of the Illusionary Legion stood around their boss. Sonic slowly got up and sat down on his rear end. "Well, look who decided to wake up. I didn't think you'd escape that Virtual Reality simulator I placed you in."

Sonic got up on his feet. Metal and Zavok grabbed his arms and pinned him down on his knees. Trying to shake them off, Sonic grunted and growled, as Dr. Eggman bent down to his level.

"Six months in a coma and you've finally awaken," he chuckled. "Who would have thought?"

Infinite scoffed since he was the one who created that virtual world. He prayed Sonic wouldn't escape, but he somehow did. _How did he escape my illusions?_

"What have you done, Eggman!?" Sonic inquired with a demanding shout.

Dr. Eggman leaned upward and explained. "Why, I've conquered all of Mobius thanks to the Atomic Bomb powered by the Phantom Ruby. And boy, I tell ya, I didn't expect it to work! I mean, I knew it was going to go off but due to the many failures it went through during testing, I didn't think it would work in Freedom Heights! But back to the point, using the Phantom Ruby's power, I have taken over all of Mobius!"

"No!" Sonic shouted. "You're lying! My friends would have stopped you!"

"Friends?" Dr. Eggman sneered, getting close to his enemy's face. "What friends? Last time I checked… they died in the explosion."

Sonic's heart jumped when he heard that. There's no way his friends could be dead.

"Nice try, Egghead," Sonic smirked. "But my friends are still around. Shadow and Rouge were just talking about them."

Dr. Eggman glared at Team Dark; the three agents glanced at each other.

"We were discussing ways to defeat them, Doctor," Shadow replied. "We were unaware he was listening to our conversation."

"The Secret Strikers are nothing against us," Rouge grinned. "Especially because they have a bozo leader like Knuckles."

"Cute, Rouge," Sonic shot a wink. "Is that anyway to treat your boyfriend?"

Rouge back-slapped the hedgehog's face. "Shut it, hero!"

"What are we going to do now that he's awake?" Infinite asked. "You gonna torture him? Beat him to a pulp? Have Chaos suffocate him? Show him painful illusions that will make him scream? Oh, the possibilities are… _Infinite!_ "

Metal's red eyes turned to the jackal. "Tell me you're not proud of that joke."

"Whoa, whoa, take an easy, Infinite," Dr. Eggman said to the jackal. "All of that stuff is too cliché… and a little morbid. I have something else planned. Deadly Six, take him to the theater room!"

"Theater room?" Sonic yelled in query, as the six Zeti grabbed him and carried him down the hall. "Hey! Put me down, you Koopaling knockoffs! Where are you taking me!?"

Dr. Eggman, Infinite, Chaos, and Metal followed behind. But Shadow tapped the doctor on the shoulder.

"Um… what exactly are you gonna show him in there?" Shadow asked.

Dr. Eggman whispered. "You'll see."

* * *

The Deadly Six kicked the door opened and entered the room. Sonic found himself being taken into a large movie theater with dozens of chairs in several rows. Zomom and Zazz laughed at the hedgehog because they were well aware of what he was about to watch. Master Zik smacked them both upside their heads while Zor just moaned like he always does. Zeena was checking out her nails to make sure they weren't broken and Zavok was just dying to see the hedgehog get what he deserved.

Zavok sat him down in a soft, red chair and held him down. Sonic scrammed in his seat like a little kid, as Zazz got out duct tape and wrapped it around the hedgehog's body.

"Enjoy the movie," Zor said, emotionless. "Cause I didn't."

Zazz finished tying the hedgehog up, as he and his family went out of the theater. Zavok was the last one to leave.

"See you later, Hedgehog," he sneered before he closed the door.

In another room, Dr. Eggman and the rest of his legion gathered around a control panel; a large film projector stood next to it. Dr. Eggman reached into a drawer and pulled out a roll of film. He placed it into the projector and pressed a button; the film started rolling.

Shadow and Rouge exchanged curious glances. What was Dr. Eggman putting on?

Down below, Sonic squirmed in his chair until he saw something pop up on the screen.

" _SONIC THE HEDGEHOG TRAILER STARTS NOW."_

"What the?" Sonic asked, wondering what the words on the screen meant.

Suddenly, the trailer opened up with a shot of a road sitting in the middle of the grasslands. There was a police car parked next to a welcome post that read, _"Welcome to Green Hills."_ Sonic wondered what he was watching when he suddenly watched a blue flash fly past the cop car.

The officer inside woke up from his nap and checked his speedometer; he noticed that whatever the object was went at seven-hundred and sixty miles.

" _What the?"_ the officer said, as he looked towards the movie camera.

Sonic cocked an eyebrow and called out, "Eggman!? Is this some kind of crime movie you're showing me?"

Looking back at the screen, Sonic saw the officer pick up what looked to be a blue needle with matching colored electricity running down it. The blue hedgehog raised an eyebrow because that almost looked like his fur.

He then watched the movie's publisher pop up on screen before it transitioned to a fast-paced, first person view of a character running through the forest. The camera spun out of control until it angeled down inside a hole. A blue puffball landed on top of a red sack, as the shadow of its true form walked across the screen. Sonic saw that the creature had a collection of burnt-up shoes in the background. Then, the blue fuzzball started messing around with a radio. He popped in a cassette tape and played a song about a gangster living in paradise.

Extending his eyes, Sonic saw something he didn't expect to see.

He was looking at the creature in full form; it looked just like him. Only it was oddly textured, and he had a butt-load of quills on his back and his head. He had white-furred hands and he wore red sneakers with laces on them. Sonic looked down at his shoes, trying to compare them to the ones in the trailer; they looked nothing alike.

Just then, the blue creature got down into a running position; lightning started to surge from his feet to his face. Speaking of which, Sonic looked at his movie version's eyes and started to freak out.

"Gotta go fast," the Sonic from the movie said.

" _GAH!_ What is that thing!?" the real deal shouted, as the movie Sonic smirked at the camera; his eyes were glowing blue. The furry abomination ran across the road until it caused a sonic boom, which made the screen black out for one second.

Then, the scene jumped to an office room, where a bunch of government officials are talking.

"Twenty minutes ago," said the commander. "An energy surge knocked down power across the entire Pacific-Northwest. We need someone who can figure out exactly what we're dealing with."

Just them, the trailer's scene changed to a military camp where a black truck pulled up to the middle. A soldier looked at it and watched as a man dressed in a black coat jumped out. He had black glasses, a fancy toupee, and thin, smooth mustache. Sonic cringed at all of this, as he felt like he was going to puke.

"Oh, god," he said. "I think I'm gonna be sick!"

Sonic looked back up and saw a title that showed this "movie's" release date.

It then cut to a scene where the cop from before kicked down the door to a barn. "SSPD!" he shouted. Sonic assumed that meant Station Square Police Department. The cop in the trailer turned the flashlight and pointed at something in the corner. It was Movie Sonic and he looked just as ugly as he did before. He had blue arms and his face didn't look like his real counterpart's. But the worse thing about him… was his teeth. His stomach was a whitish/tannish color and his eyes were creepily realistic.

Sonic didn't know what to think about this other. He felt absolute horror rain down his spine. His knees buckled, his hands shook, his quills shivered, and his heart pumped at a rapid rate.

His feet tapped on the ground, creating a small echo throughout the theater.

His fingers were shaking.

His nose twitched.

And his jaw dropped to the ground.

"Uh… meow?" said the movie Sonic, as he tried to give what didn't look like a smile, but it seemed like one.

The cop screamed.

Movie Sonic screamed back.

And the real Sonic lost his sanity. " _ **AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! GET… ME… OUT OF HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEE!**_ "

* * *

Watching that trailer felt interminable, despite the fact it was only two minutes long. Sonic the Hedgehog had been taken back to his prison cell in the Death Egg. The blue Inhibitor Rings were still on his hands and he was laying against the wall.

Aside from feeling scared after what he went through, he felt guilty. Mobius was taken over by the Eggman Empire, something he's been preventing since he was a youngling. It felt just like yesterday he was running around Green Hill Zone, bashing Badniks and freeing animals from metal cages. And it felt like a day ago when he and Dr. Eggman exchanged hateful eyes for the first time.

If he were talking right now, Sonic would say that it was hate at first fight.

Since that day, Sonic's been thwarting the forces of Dr. Eggman ever since.

Perfect Chaos, Project: Emerl, the Eclipse Cannon, the Lost Hex, Time Eater, everything.

And Sonic has always saved the day… six months ago was different.

He thought he could save everyone by diffusing the bomb, but for once in his life, he failed. Dr. Eggman had finally won and achieved his life-long goal; to expand his empire over the planet. Sonic didn't feel like he was going to burst out into tears because he lost, but he did feel bad that he let everyone down. But of course, being the true-blue hero he still is, he was more than determined to get out of this cell and rescue his home.

It was in trouble and he was in no position to rescue it.

But he was in position to listen to his cellmate talk.

She was a yellow mongoose with a violet tank top with black stripes on the front, and a skirt that matched her green and violet shoes. Her name was Mina: lead singer of Mobius' famous musical group, The Forget Me Knots. She was talking about what happened during Eggman's coup.

"I felt just like yesterday," she began with a low sigh. "Breezie hired us to play for her fundraiser campaign and I got nervous. I always get stage fright before a big event, but my boyfriend, Ash… he always calms me down by telling me to just go out there and have fun… then he gives me a hug, a kiss, and wishes me luck… as we finished our second song… Eggman came, telling us all that you were dead."

Sonic turned his head upward, watching Mina lean over the side of her bunk bed; she sat on the bottom.

"Trying to be like you and the other Freedom Fighters, I fought off his forces to the best of my ability; my friends helped me out in the process… but sadly… they got us. They captured the band and I, but they took Ash and threw him someplace else," Mina shed a small tear; it dripped down her cheek and fell on the floor. "For six months… I haven't seen my boyfriend's face… I haven't held him in my arms since my last concert…"

The mongoose wiped her eyes. "I try to remember the good times we had just to keep myself from crying… heh, one of our favorite things to do together was to sit down and watch movies. Our personal favorite was when this kid is sent back in time thanks to this time machine built inside a car."

"I remember that movie," Sonic smiled. "That one's a classic. The sequels, not so much."

"I know, right," Mina replied with a chuckle. "Whenever we'd go to sleep, I'd always dream of building that car and giving to him as a gift for being there for me. I'd picture us driving around aimlessly, meeting people from various timelines."

"So, you basically dream of screwing up the timeline?" Sonic said with a snark in his comment.

"Oh, hush!" Mina laughed before her smile turned back into a frown. "I wish a time machine like that was real… I could go back and save him from this mess."

Sonic got up from the ground and sat next to Mina on her bed. She got up and he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Listen, Mina," he said. "I know our chances of escaping aren't high right now, but I promise… I'm gonna get us out of here and we're gonna look for your boyfriend together."

Mina's teary eyes looked into his emerald green eyes. Sonic wiped the tears off her face and gave her a tender smile.

It was at that moment where the mongoose gave the hedgehog a hug. She wiped her tears away and smiled.

"Thank you, Sonic," she whispered. "I needed that."

Sonic hugged her back. "You're welcome. Tears are way past uncool in my book."

Just then, someone was clapping in the cell across from them. Sonic and Mina released each other and turned around. They saw lead guitarist of the Forget Me Knots: Max the Monkey slowly clapping, as Shadow the Hedgehog, E-123 Omega, and Rouge the Bat entered the prison. Many civilians who have been imprisoned stared at them and started murmuring harsh insults.

Drummer: Mach the Rabbit turned away from the agents' faces.

Bassist: Sharps the Chicken shook his head, as he tuned his guitar.

"Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the traitors themselves, Team Dark!" Max said in a rude manner. "They see all!"

Shadow and Rouge grunted at the brown monkey's comment.

"Just don't ask them for any promises," Max said, as he slammed his hand against the bars. "Chances are they'll break em'!"

"Come up with something original for once, Max," Rouge replied. "You've been using that remark for months."

Mina folded her arms, as Team Dark approached her cell. "You three have some nerve coming down here."

"Darn," Sonic said. "She beat me by one second."

"I BROUGHT CUPCAKES," Omega said, holding up a tray of cupcakes.

"May we talk to you?" Shadow asked.

"Absolutely, _not!_ " the mongoose replied.

"Not you, dancing queen, _him._ " Rouge said, pointing to Sonic.

"Buzz off, you two!" Mina folded her arms. "He doesn't feel like talking to traitors like you!"

Sonic smiled and placed a hand on Mina's shoulder again. "It's okay, Mina. I can handle these jokers."

The mongoose was unsure at first, but she decided to let her hero talk to the villains. She walked back to her bed and laid down, listening to the conversation.

Sonic pressed his arm against the bars and gave a smile to Shadow and Rouge… right before he snapped. " _Are you out of your minds!?_ Do you not realize what you've done!?"

Shadow closed his eyes. "Sonic, let me explain- "

"My friends and I worked hard to diffuse that bomb in Freedom Heights! We were counting on _you_ to help us, but _no!_ You just sat there and watched the city blow up! I can't believe you would betray us like this! Shadow, I can understand, but you too, Rouge!?"

"I know it's hard for you to understand, Big Blue," Rouge said. "But hear us out- "

"How the heck can I hear you two out after what you've done!? Also, what on Mobius was that trailer Eggman showed me!? Was that real!? Tell me that's fake! Because I swear, if that movie was made by Breezie the Hedgehog's movie company, I'm gonna- "

" _Will you shut up and relax for one second!?_ " Shadow snarled. The blue hedgehog finally relaxed. Shadow pressed his hand against his face, letting out a deep breath. "I know you're mad at us and you have every right to be, but you need to understand why we're doing this. Rouge, why don't you tell him."

Rouge nodded, as Sonic folded his arms. "Two months prior to the invasion, Shadow, Omega, and I were sent on a recon mission because one of our soldiers reported Dr. Eggman got some new recruits. So, we check the place out and we wound up getting caught by a jackal named Infinite. He trapped us in Virtual Reality and showed all kinds of weird stuff."

"He told us he'd stop if we agreed to join Eggman's empire," Shadow added. "So, we _'did.'_ "

Sonic raised an eyebrow because he saw Shadow use quote-on-quote motions with his fingers.

"Shortly after we joined, we contacted Commander Tower and told him we were planning to find out Eggman's plan, so we could put a stop to it." Rouge continued.

Shadow shook his head. "But seeing as how we're here right now, you can assume how _well_ that plan went."

Sonic rolled his eyes.

"So, now," Shadow added again. "We're still keeping a watch on Eggman to see if he's planning anything else. If you're wondering what happened to Omega… well, Eggman had to rewire his programming. So, that he doesn't go on a rampage and blow up all his Badniks."

Omega offered more prisoners cupcakes. Mach took one a bit into it.

"I MADE THEM WITH LOVE," Omega said.

Mach spit out the frosting. "And it's been iced with lard!"

"LARD EQUALS HUG FLAVOR."

"Two things," Sonic said. "One, what's Egghead up to? Second, who are the Secret Strikers who talked about in the closet?"

Shadow answered. "To answer your first question, we don't know what Eggman's up to. Secondly, the Secret Strikers are a band of Freedom Fighters lead by Knuckles."

Sonic gasped in shock.

"They consist of your friends who fought in the invasion," Shadow said again.

The blue hedgehog stepped back and cheered in excitement. Mina Mongoose did the same thing, as she gave the hero another hug. Max, Mach, and Sharps got up from their beds and danced in happiness. Everyone was happy to know there was a resistance re-lighting hope within Mobius and its people.

Rouge smiled at Sonic's happiness; Shadow just blankly stared.

The dancing came to a stop once Sonic gripped the bars and said, "All right, guys! Now all you gotta do is let me Outta here, so I can find my friends and Mina's boyfriend! Whaddya say? Come on, let us out of here!"

Shadow and Rouge shared a look.

"Sorry, Big Blue," Rouge said. "Can't do that."

And the good feeling was gone.

" _WHAT!?"_ Sonic shouted. "Why!?"

"It's not that easy," Rouge replied. "If we let you out of here, we'll risk blowing our cover."

"Oh, come on!" Sonic retorted.

"We have a plan to get you out of here," Rouge said. She, Shadow, and Omega started to walk off. "But that's a story for another day."

Sonic slammed the bars with his fists. "Wait, come back here! Where are you going!? Shadow! Rouge! Omega!... can you at least tell me if that trailer was real?"

* * *

The armored chameleon was the first to speak. "My name is Zespio and this is my partner, Zector. We come from the No Zone to find Sonic the Hedgehog."

Lil' Blue smirked and walked to the cops with a kind gesture. "That would be me," he chuckled. "What can I do for you fellas? Autograph? You want your picture taken with me?"

"Not you, Shorty," Zector said. "We're looking for the Mobius Prime's Sonic."

Everyone looked at the crocodile, addlebrained.

"The one from this world," Zector clarified his statement.

Tails pressed his hands together and spoke to the cops, "Hate to break it to you guys, but you're six months too late. He's gone."

"Impossible," Zespio shook his head. "Our schematics confirm that he is alive and well."

Amy raised an eyebrow. "N-no, he's not. He was caught in the Atomic Bomb's explosion."

"He was, yes," Zespio said. "But he survived. Records show he landed in Green Hill Zone and was taken by the Illusionary Legion."

Tails gasped, as he cupped his hands together. Could his _real_ brother be alive?

"Even if he is alive, why are you looking for him?" Knuckles asked.

"I was going to tell you all this when he was here, but I might as well tell you now," Zespio nodded. "There has been a collapse in the multiverse thanks to the power of the Phantom Ruby. You see, in the dimension known as the Mania Zone, Dr. Robotnik discovered a gemstone on Angel Island that could manipulate space and time. Not too long after, a collision between the Chaos Emeralds and the Phantom Ruby occurred, causing an interdimensional portal to open."

Lil' Blue gulped because he was the one who unintentionally caused that.

Zespio took a breath. "When the ruby was sucked inside, it pulsed huge amounts of energy that caused several anomalies in multiple dimensions. The No Zone included."

"Would that explain why landmarks from Lil' Blue's world showed up in ours?" Espio asked.

"Yes. Dimensions have been reported to be merging with one another," Zespio replied. "But I'm not sure why it took so long to affect your world."

"It's probably because the _cause_ of all of this showed up here just today!" Zector said, pointing at Lil' Blue.

"Who, me?" Lil' Blue snarled. "What did I do?"

Zespio approached him. "Sonic, you were in your Super Form when you collided with the Phantom Ruby, correct?"

"I… maybe… I… what!?" Lil' Blue stuttered. "Yes, but… h-how did you guys know that!? Who are you!?"

"We told ya," Zector replied. "We're Zector and Zespio; we're Zone Cops from the No Zone. Our job is to make sure all zones are on a balance and aren't overrun by other zones."

"I hate to make false conclusions," Relic raised a finger. "But by that logic, are you saying the Phantom Ruby originated from the Mania Zone and that it being here would count as an invasion?"

"I would have worded it differently, but yep," Zector nodded.

Tails rubbed his head in anxiety. Not even his own brain could register such information. "This is all _so much!_ The Phantom Ruby comes from another dimension, Lil' Blue is the cause of it being here, and- "

"Hey! Wait a minute, are we really blaming all this on me!?" the young hedgehog started to get defensive. He poked both Zone Cops in their chests. "Look, _'officers!'_ It's not _my_ fault I opened a portal to another dimension and caused the multiverse to go nuts! I was just trying to super boost into the Phantom Ruby and cause some way past cool explosion or something!"

Tails huffed and folded his arms. "Yeah, nice job thinking with your head there, Shorty."

"Tails, knock it off," Amy grunted.

Knuckles slammed his fists together. "Enough!"

The Secret Strikers remained quiet. Lil' Blue relaxed.

Walking to both officers, Knuckles asked them, "So, your schematics say Sonic's alive?"

Both Zone Cops nodded.

"Where is he?"

"We're not sure," Zespio replied. "One of our officers is looking for him."

Just then, Zonic the Hedgehog popped out of the same Warp Ring his partners came out of. Said partners turned to him and saluted. The Zone Cop took off his helmet to reveal his true-blue face. Everyone gasped at how identical he was to the Mobius Prime counterpart. He was so identical that Amy ran up to him and tackled him with a hug.

"Oh, Sonic!" she cried. "You're alive! Thank goodness you're okay!"

Zonic tapped her on the shoulder and came out with the truth. He did smile awkwardly in the process. "Eh, sorry to break it to you, Miss Rose. But I'm not the Sonic you think I am. My name is Zonic: Lead Officer of the Zone Cops."

Embarrassed, Amy released him. "Oh… hehe… s-sorry."

Zonic winked, as his partners approached him.

"Officer Zonic," Zespio said. "Welcome back. How was Virtual Reality?"

"Eh, freaky as it always was. But I did find something, or should I say someone."

The Secret Strikers had the same reaction as one another; they all gasped.

Zonic smiled and proudly said to the team. "Sonic the Hedgehog is alive. But you all must hurry… For he is in deep trouble."

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 11**_

* * *

 _Sonic the Hedgehog is alive, but how long does he have until Dr. Eggman reveals his true plans for him? The Secret Strikers have gained an upper hand thanks to the Zone Cops, but they need to hurry if they wish to save their friend in time. Can they rescue him before it's too late? Find out as the new members of Team Feral Strike are put to the test in..._

 _"Chapter 12: Space Port Raid."_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _While I didn't read much of the old Archie Sonic Comics, Mina Mongoose and her bandmates are some of my favorite characters in those comics. I like her design, her personality, and a lot of other things I could go in about. But this chapter's already as long as it is. That, and I just updated my Mario story today so... yeah._

 _Was it too soon to make a Sonic trailer joke?_

 _Zonic is also another one of my favorite characters._

 _As always, thanks for taking the time to read this chapter. Don't forget to tell me what you like and what needs to be improved. I'm the Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you all next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	12. Space Port Raid

_**A/N:** Well, everyone! Here it is! This story's rendition of the Space Port level from the actual game. Now, before we begin. I want to thank Starlit Storyteller (That is such an awesome username!) for leaving both a favorite and a follow on this story. I also want to thank everyone for getting Sonic Heroes: The Atom Bomb up to over **60 reviews** and counting! _

**_Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) This is Our World: A New Hero - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(2) Fighting Onward (Space Port) - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(3) Chemical Plant Act 1 - Sonic Mania OST_**

 ** _(4) Infinite Battle #2 - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(5) Action on the Rails - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(6) Goodbye - Cars Original Motion Picture Soundtrack_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **Space Port Raid**

In the Secret Strikers' Training Room, the Rookies were lined up next to each other. Dakota and Corvin were teaching them how to work as a unit. In the back, Gadget and Fuchsia were watching the session. They'd just gotten back from cooling off outside, so they believe they're calm enough to watch their teammates train.

Dakota pressed a button on a remote and activated three four training robots that looked like Eggman.

All four drones stood up at the same time, ready to attack.

"It's the first day of training for The Mighty Clay and his team," Clay monologued. "But first, they must hear words from Big Boss Dakota."

Dakota smiled. "First off, the nickname needs work. Second, I want you to take these drones down as a team. Work together to take them down, can you do that?"

Clay smirked, as he gloated, "Pfft, I got this. Buster, fastball special, ready!?"

"Heck yeah!" Buster nodded. He jumped into the air and curled into a ball. Clay twirled his hammer and smacked his best friend in the rear. But instead of hitting the robots, Buster landed into a bunch of crates. Skylar, Emma, Dakota, and Corvin cringed; that looked like it hurt.

Buster's cowboy hat fell off, as the dog spun around in dizziness. "My tennis balls are missing, Grandpa."

Everyone glared at the rabbit, who chuckled nervously.

"Okay," Clay said. "Plan B!"

Spinning his hammer, Clay slammed the ground and created a blue shock wave that decimated the robots. He kissed his muscles and twirled his Wispon. "And that's how it's done."

Annoyed by that act, Gadget stormed to the rabbit's face. "Idiot! What part of _'teamwork'_ did you not understand!?"

"But I took care of it," Clay replied.

"This exercise was supposed to be about working as a unit!" Gadget snarled. "You can't do everything by yourself!"

"But I just killed the Badniks by myself. What's your point?"

Gadget facepalmed before he deeply breathed. "Let's do this. Scenario: You're stuck in an alleyway and you're cornered by three Buzz Bombers, five Egg Fighters, and two Motobugs. You have two ways to get out of the situation. A: You kill yourself by taking them on alone, or B: You find cover until backup arrives. What do you do?"

Clay stroked his chin until he snapped his fingers. "I'm gonna go for Option C."

"Option C?" Gadget raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I use my flight abilities to travel to space, meet up with a raccoon and a talking tree, build a battle-axe that shoots lightning, fly back down, and destroy the Badniks!"

Everyone was quiet.

"He got that from a movie, right?" Fuchsia whispered into Skylar and Emma's ears.

Gadget growled and waved his fists around. "Dullard! Absolute dullard!"

Dakota placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Easy, brother. Calm down… Gadget's right on one thing, Clay. You can't act like a big shot and do everything by yourself. You need teammates who'll fight alongside you. Because sooner or later, you're gonna need to put your team-building skills to the test. God only knows when that test will come."

Knuckles, Amy, and Zonic entered the training room. Team Feral Strike was amazed by the armored hedgehog.

"S-Sonic!?" Clay asked.

"Not really," Zonic replied with a smile.

"Everyone, come to meeting room," Knuckles said. "We need to talk."

Team Feral Strike looked at one another, wondering what this was about. _**(1)**_

* * *

Team Feral Strike, the Secret Strikers, and the Zone Cops gathered in the meeting room. Relic and Fixit were in the corner of the computer screen. Zespio was showing everyone a topographical map of Chemical Plant Zone. The Rookies squinted their eyes and looked at the colorful map.

"We just received some incredible news," Knuckles said. "Sonic is alive."

The Rookies were in uproar, so were their comrades.

Gadget and Fuchsia hugged and kissed each other in celebration.

Corvin and Dakota fist-bumped.

Skylar and Emma held hands and jumped up and down.

Buster wrapped his arms around the two ladies.

And Clay jumped and waved his fist. Finally, the one person who promised to teach him how to be a Freedom Fighter was alive and well. Despite not knowing where he was, Clay was still eager to locate Sonic and tell him all about his days of working with Uncle Chuck. Speaking of which, the old hedgehog and Muttski were in the room; the former shed a few tears of joy while the latter cheered.

"Thank goodness," Chuck nodded, as he placed a hand on Tails' shoulder.

Lil' Blue raised a hand to high five Tails, but the fox refused his gesture. This made the little blue hedgehog sad; the fox was still mad at him for earlier.

"It's excellent, right?" Silver asked with a smile.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Amy nodded.

"I've pinpointed his location to the orbiting prison," Zonic told the team. "He's in a solitary confinement cell inside the Death Egg."

"That's horrible!" Amy gasped. "We have to rescue him!"

"Plan's already happening, Amy," Knuckles said. "We're going to the Space Port in the Chemical Plant to _'borrow'_ a shuttle."

Everyone was determined to get their hero home. They all exchanged looks of determination.

"Relic, Fixit, I need you guys to stay here and watch over the Master Emerald," Knuckles said. The Pika and the Gizoid nodded. "Uncle Chuck, Muttski, stay here and watch over our comms."

The mustached hedgehog and the canine nodded.

"C'mon, guys," Knuckles smiled. The Secret Strikers and Team Feral Strike stood up. The Zone Cops loaded their guns and looked at the commander. "Who's up for an old-school style jailbreak?"

"The Mighty Clay is always ready for a jailbreak!" Clay responded. "Time for the God of Thunder and his teammates to put their strength to the test!"

Skylar, Emma, Gadget, and Fuchsia moaned when they heard that. _**(1s)**_

* * *

A blue and silver battleship known as the Blue Typhoon flew over the Chemical Plant; the Secret Strikers, Zone Cops, and Team Feral Strike were all by the cargo bay, where they were waiting for Uncle Chuck to open the door. Team Chaotix gathered alongside the No Zone crocodile and chameleon. They smiled at each other before they glanced at their commander, who was talking to Zonic.

"Thanks for helping us, Sonic-I mean, Zonic," Knuckles said. "We owe you one."

"No need," Zonic said. "I do have my own problems back in my zone, but I will help you out first."

Silver and Blaze walked by them and cracked their fingers; the former held his chest in nervousness while the latter calmed him down by telling him he's gonna be okay and that she'll protect him.

Amy swung her hammer and Team Feral Strike gathered together. Clay placed his white mask on and slapped his black and blue gloves together; he was ready to take down Eggman and save Sonic.

Tails loaded his Arm-Cannon and Lil' Blue checked himself in the mirror.

"Am I good lookin' or what?" the hedgehog smiled.

Tails rolled his eyes.

Uncle Chuck's voice came over the radio, _"Preparing drop off in three… two… one… good luck, Secret Strikers."_

"Let's do it to it," Tails said to Knuckles and Amy. The back door slowly opened; a slight cold breeze blew against everyone's fur/skin, making them shiver. Once it opened, everyone looked down at the mega-industrial plant. Since Zonic told them dimensions were merging with one another, Mobius Prime's Chemical Plant combined with the one from the Mania Zone. Lil' Blue cracked his neck, as he was ready to tackle this stage again.

Gadget suddenly approached Clay and handed him a wrist band. Clay turned around and saw that his friends have gotten the same item. Taking it, the rabbit asked, "What's this thing?"

"Grappling Wire," Gadget replied. "I made it myself. Just point it at something and you'll fly right up there. But be careful, always look before you leap."

"Pfft, I don't need these. I can already fly."

Gadget grabbed the band and placed it on Clay's wrist. "Trust me… you'll need it."

"Secret Strikers," Knuckles said, as the team assembled together. "Charge!" _**(2)**_

Everyone jumped out of the ship and skydived down to the surface. Feeling a cold wind brush against their faces, they saw more of the Chemical Plant's wintery exterior. This industrial fortress contained lots of machinery and chemicals mad made of toxic material that could cause many negative health effects. One side of the factory became frigid; however, the other side was perfectly normal.

Pipes were mostly frozen, platforms and ramps were slippery, and the chemicals were abnormal due to subzero-like temperatures.

Tails grabbed Lil' Blue and Amy, flying them both to the ground.

Charmy carried Espio and Charmy.

Knuckles flew down with Zonic on his back.

Silver had Zector and Zespio in psychic bubbles, as he flew down. And Blaze used her fiery abilities to glide next to the white hedgehog.

Team Feral Strike shot their grappling wires onto a building and they swung around as if they were spiders shooting webs. The four newbies followed the professionals behind, as the Secret Strikers and Zone Cops ran up and down a curvy pipe.

"Be careful, everyone!" Amy said. "The pipes and floors are slippery."

"Good thing I can fly over all of that," Charmy chuckled.

"No need to rub it in, Squirt!" Vector and Zector said at the same time. "Jinx! Double jinx!"

"Zone Cops, stick with us," Amy said, as she pressed a button on her earpiece. "Team Feral Strike, scout out ahead and locate a shuttle."

"Read you loud and clear, Amy," Fuchsia nodded. She and the others swung around for a bit until they found a place to land. They ran across some yellow pipes until they approached a concrete floor.

From there, they found themselves engaging Egg Pawns and Buzz Bombers.

Clay rushed ahead, pushing the pink cat out of the way. "The Mighty Clay races past his comrades, wanting first dibs on the enemies. He leaps with swift elaborately, as he slams his hammer on the ground. He stuns the enemies and makes them beg for mercy!"

Clay did exactly what he said… except for the mercy part.

Everyone else scouted ahead of him and blew enemies to pieces.

"I don't know what annoys me more," Skylar said. "The fact he's monologuing again, or that he knows what elaborately means."

Dakota lead his teammates down a narrow road, where they wound up surrounded by Egg Pawns.

"Corvin, Fuchsia," Dakota said. "On your left!"

Both the bird and the feline nodded and worked together to take down the Badniks: the latter cupped her hands together and boosted her best friend into the air. Drilling into the ground, Corvin shot upward and laid waste to the robots. He bent over, so the cat could roll over his back, shooting a void that sucked desolated the robot squad.

"We gotta do that sometime, Skye," Emma winked to her best friend. The bear smiled back.

"Let's just hope Clay doesn't steal it first," the blue mammal replied.

Buster shot purple projectiles from his Asteroid Wispon; every enemy he defeated he blew up into pieces. He jumped on one of the Egg Pawns and shot his grappling wire into the air. He swung around the buildings and ran across them as if he was an acrobat. He got down on all fours and began charging into more enemies. Jumping off a railing, he pounced back to where his team was.

Clay noticed his friend's parkour and raised both his eyebrows. "I gotta teach myself that."

Team Feral Strike eventually jumped on a randomly placed spring and lunged upward onto another platform. Destroying the Badniks they've encountered effortlessly, they ran down a corkscrew before going up and down a loop de loop. At the same time, they shot their wires into the air and swung over to the next part of the factory.

From there, hordes of Egg Robos and Grabbers tried to block their path, but Gadget set them all ablaze thanks to his Burst Wispon. His older brother lead the team down a set of three rails. They jumped on top and started grinding to the other side.

As they sped down the railway, they noticed that there were spikes set in certain areas, acting as traps.

Dakota gasped before he jumped over one set. Everyone else moved to another rail before they made it to the other side of the plant.

"The Mighty Clay and Team Feral Strike are one step closer to finding Sonic the Hedgehog," Clay said. "They just need to get past the dreaded Chemical Plant. Buster Beeza gets down on all fours and charges at his foes, Sweetie Hedgie lashes out with her lightning whip, and Ferocious Bear continues to give The Mighty Clay that same death stare she always gives him. Makes you wonder if she's got a crush on him."

Skylar growled. "Clay, I swear to Mobius!" _**(2s)**_

* * *

 _ **(3)**_ The Secret Strikers and the Zone Cops were ahead of their other fraction, as they have taken a shortcut thanks to the guidance of Lil' Blue. Said hedgehog ran ahead of them, but not too far. He looked over his shoulder and saw that they were dealing with enemies from their world and his. Turning back, he gasped when he saw a Super Badnik called an Egg Hammer right in front of him.

Revving up a spin dash, he boosted into the robot three times, but the drone's durable shell blocked him. Lil' Blue landed on the ground and dodged the robot's attack. It was at that moment when Knuckles and Vector came out of no where and tackled the robot, ripping off both its arms. Lil' Blue jumped inside the arm's socket and started ripping the interior to pieces.

Jumping out, he heard a loud explosion; the robot was defeated.

The rest of resistance caught up to their leader, as they came across an obstacle in their path; a pool of blue chemicals that looked impossible to get across. Lil' Blue scanned the area for a way to get over the pool until he saw a large vile with a yellow button on top of it. Inside was a large amount of green liquid.

"I got an idea!" he snapped his fingers, as he jumped on the button and pressed it down. The blue water suddenly turned green.

"What's that gonna do?" Vector asked.

"Watch!" Lil' Blue replied. He jumped off the button and landed on top of the green chemicals. Because of how soft and squishy it was, it bounced him so high in the air, he could almost touch the clouds.

"Hey!" Charmy squealed. "That looks like fun!" He jumped on the green, trampoline-like pool and went as high as little blue. Silver joined in on the fun.

"Whoooooooooooaaaaaaaa!" Silver screamed. "This is terrifying yet so cool!"

"Be careful, Silver!" Blaze warned, as she joined the other Freedom Fighters as they flew high in the sky. Landing on an upper platform, they continued running down the road. Tails and the Zone Cops shot down Buzz Bombers by firing lasers.

"So far, so good, as Sonic would say," Tails said, shooting more enemies. "How much longer till we get to the shuttles?"

Zonic opened up a topographic map of the factory. A green target indicated their location; they weren't too far from the shuttles. "We're getting close. Just a few more miles. Tell your teammates we're almost there."

Espio whipped out a walkie talkie and spoke to Dakota. "Espio here. My team's almost to the shuttle base. We should be there in… no, wait!" _**(3s)**_

 _ **(4)**_ Suddenly, a void of black and magenta energy popped up far ahead of the team. Stepping out… was Infinite the Jackal. He lashed out his claws and growled underneath his mask. As the Phantom Ruby on his chest glowed, a massive shockwave pushed the resistance a few feet backward.

Luckily, everyone was able to get back up.

"Watch out!" Espio said over the communicator. "The masked one is here. The monster that took down Sonic."

"Finally," Tails cocked his weapon. "I'm gonna make him pay!"

Zonic placed a hand on Tails' shoulder, stopping him from engaging. He took out his own blaster and closed his visor, hiding his face. "Go on ahead. We'll take care of him!"

Zespio and Zector nodded.

"We're not leaving you behind!" Amy retorted.

"Sonic needs you, get to him before it's too late!" Zespio said.

The Secret Strikers were hesitant to do this, but after some thought, they listened.

"Follow me!" Lil' Blue said. "I know another shortcut!"

The blue hedgehog guided his team down the lower path. They landed on a corkscrew and continued running.

Infinite was about to boost down there and kill them, but Zespio and Zector shot him in the chest with their blasters. Taking hits, Infinite shielded himself and took cover behind a few barrels. He touched them with his hands and transformed them into Egg Pawns with his illusionary power.

The chameleon and the crocodile dealt with the robots, as Zonic jumped over them and shot Infinite twice.

The jackal snarled before he created two swords made of red cubes. Slashing at the hedgehog, Infinite realized the officer was more faster than he was. Zonic deflected the swords by smacking the jackal's arms to the sides, as he punched him in the cut, grabbed his face, and slammed him against his knee. Dazed, Infinite stood back, only for Zonic to start attacking him with brute force; he landed a few good hits.

Infinite regained focus and blocked some of Zonic's attacks before he grabbed his arm and flipped him over. Zonic rolled across the ground before he swept Infinite off his feet. Landing on his back, Infinite grunted, as he shot a ray of cubes around Zonic's body, holding him in his clutches.

It was at that moment where Zespio popped up a small laser cannon on his arm. He aimed it at the jackal and shot a beam that burned his back.

" _ARGH!_ " the jackal cried in pain. "That hurt worse than burnt toast!"

The jackal saw the two cops running for him, as he slammed the ground and captured them in red cubes. Zonic broke free and tackled the canine, pinning him down. But Infinite teleported above him and slammed his fists into his back. Zonic swept Infinite's feet again before he rapidly punched and kicked him like a ninja. Infinite was too slow to block the attacks, so he teleported out of the way and slashed Zonic's back with his claws. The blue Zone Cop collapsed on his knees. Zespio and Zector tried to rescue him, but they wound up meeting the same fate.

Just as he was about to hunt down the Secret Strikers, a wire wrapped around his body, electrocuting him where it hurts.

Screaming at the top of his lungs, Infinite saw that Zonic had recovered and had used his armory to his advantage.

"So, you're the jackal that killed my counterpart," Zonic said in a stern tone.

"Counterpart?" Infinite asked.

"Run back home and tell Dr. Eggman… Sonic the Hedgehog is coming home."

Infinite teleported out of his capture and flew down the bottom path; he was chasing the Secret Strikers.

Helping his partners up, Zonic touched the side of his ear and spoke to Knuckles. "Heads up, guys. Infinite's heading to you."

* * *

"We're almost to the shuttles!" Knuckles said, as he ran down the yellow pipes and landed on an upper floor. "Go check on Team Feral Strike!"

The Secret Strikers continued panting and running; sweat was pouring down each of their heads. But as if their day couldn't get any worse, Infinite flew beside, and his hands were glowing. He chucked a few red cubes at the resistance, missing them entirely.

Magenta-colored explosions forced everyone to zig-zag their way across the stage.

Infinite chucked a few more cubes until Amy smacked one of them back with her hammer. The cube whacked the jackal right in the face, forcing him to fly a few feet backward.

"Hit the cubes back at the right time!" the hammer-wielding hedgehog called, as she did the same thing she did before, getting the same result.

"Good thinking, Amy!" Silver nodded. He looked and saw Infinite spawning not a dozen, not a thousand, but a million cubes. He folded his arms and shot them all at once. Using his psychokinesis, he caught some of the projectiles and flung them back. Almost all of them hit Infinite.

The rest of the team did the exact same thing, which made the jackal more frustrated than before.

"I'm getting tired of this mess!" he snarled and shook his fist. Flying right in front of the team, he was about to ambush them using the same move, when he suddenly felt the ground vibrate underneath. "What the!? What's happening!?"

The same occurrence in Mobotropolis was suddenly happening here.

Infinite looked over his shoulder and saw a huge tower spawning from the ground. Moving out of the way, he heard the same sound his own Phantom Ruby makes, as the structure sat itself in the middle of the Chemical Plant. But that earthquake itself wasn't over.

More buildings appeared beside the road the Secret Strikers were on; everyone looked and gasped by the number of features from the Mania Zone were appearing.

"Oh, no!" Tails, Amy, and Lil' Blue said at the same time. " _Not this again!_ "

Just then, the road below the Secret Strikers suddenly fell crumbled; every team member fell forward and started freefalling towards the snowy ground.

Tails grabbed Lil' Blue.

Knuckles grabbed Amy and sat her on his back.

Charmy grabbed Vector and Espio by using the Sling Rings.

Silver and Blaze used their powers to save themselves.

And Infinite was dodging debris that was falling from the buildings. He was too distracted to the notice his enemies escaping.

Said resistance was flying across the Chemical Plant, as they saw more structures and random objects pop out from the ground. They each glitched the same red, blue, and purple colors from before. Lil' Blue sighed, as he thought about the fates of his own friends, praying they weren't involved.

"I sure hope my own friends are okay," Lil' Blue said. "God forbid my Tails isn't caught up in all this."

Tails heard that comment and looked down at the short hedgehog's face, feeling sorry for him.

"Guys!" Charmy pointed. "I see it! I see the shuttles!"

The shuttle base was just up ahead.

"Perfect!" Silver nodded. "We're one step closer to reaching Sonic!"

"Hopefully, Team Feral Strike and the Zone Cops can meet us in time," Blaze said. "I don't want to take off without them."

* * *

Team Feral Strike was almost there to the shuttle base. They've spent what felt like an hour fighting a bunch of robots. Dakota lead his team to the far side of the Chemical Plant, where they came across another corkscrew, a loop de loop, and three rails that lead to their destination.

Just then, everyone heard the Secret Strikers' voices over the radio transmitter.

" _Team Feral Strike, we've located the shuttle base!"_ Tails said. _"We're approaching it right now!"_

" _Perfect! They won't mind if we borrow this for a while,"_ Vector smirked.

" _Hurry up, guys!"_ Knuckles called. _"Get out of there as soon as everyone's aboard!"_

"We're almost there, Knuckles!" Gadget replied. "We should be there in no less than three minutes!"

That three minutes was going to be longer because Infinite accidentally appeared in front of the group. He was panting because of the chaos that was going on. Speaking of which, more buildings started to rise up from the ground. Team Feral Strike has been dealing with this for a while and they wondered how much more was coming.

"According to my calculations," Skylar said. "The Chemical Plant should be collapsing by how much is being piled onto it. I don't how much more this place can take!"

 _ **BOOM! (4s)**_

A large structure came out of the ground and Clay fell on top of its rooftop. He felt himself being pushed off the ground, as he screamed at the top of his lungs. Buster, Skylar, and Emma stopped and saw that Clay was stuck to the rooftop of the rising building.

" _CLAY!_ " they all shouted. _**(5)**_

Shouting obnoxiously loud, Clay got back up and saw how high he was going. He ran backward before he charged forward, jumping off the side of the building. Freefalling to his death, he shot a grappling wire at a Frei train. Pulling himself up, he landed on the roof of the train and he fell over the side. He grabbed on a pole that stuck out the side and pulled himself up. He laid down on his back before he got up.

As soon as he looked to the right, he saw he was about to crash into the wall.

Looking left and right, he searched for a way out. He then shot a grappling wire above and shot himself over the wall. But another train was coming up beside him. He screamed and shielded his eyes before he felt something latch onto his back. _**(5s)**_

Pushed backwards as fast as the wind, Clay landed back to where he originally was before he was caught in the building's crossfire. Gadget was the one who saved him. Getting up, Clay brushed himself off and chuckled.

"I uh… I intended to do that,"

"You owe me one," Gadget said.

Skylar ran forward and wrapped her arms around the rabbit. "Thank Mobius you're okay!"

Clay was surprised to see Skylar hugging him, as he didn't think she'd be one to do this. Not knowing what to say that'll boost his ego, he hugged her back and rubbed her head. The two of them let go before the bear continued down the road.

"Whoa," Clay said, as he grabbed his hammer and followed his team.

* * *

The Secret Strikers ran across the catwalk and approached a large shuttle bus. Silver and Blaze desolated the Badniks that tried to stop them, as everyone else ran inside.

Inside was a control station with enough seats to sit everybody. Team Chaotix got in their chairs and buckled their seatbelts. Silver and Blaze did the same thing, as Knuckles and Amy followed Tails and Lil' Blue to the control panel.

Searching for the controls, Tails found a pair of keys stuck in the start engine.

"Seriously?" Tails asked. "Who leaves the keys in here? Oh, well. Good for us."

He twisted the keys, but the engine didn't start. He did this two more times, but the ship didn't budge.

"Here, let me try," Lil' Blue said, as he twisted the keys as hard as he could. He then spat on his hands and held them up. "Open sesame!... well, that's all I could do."

"Guys!" Vector called, pointing to the window.

"We've got company," Espio said, as he unbuckled his seatbelt and took out his dagger. "We'll hold them off while you guys start the ship!"

"Yeah! Let's beat up the bad guys!" Charmy said. He, the Chaotix, Silver, and Blaze jumped out of the ship and started attacking the Badniks in front of them. The three detectives warmed up the crowd with a Chaotix Recital; a move where they play music so loud that it caused the enemies to explode, while Silver and Blaze used their powers to create a psychic/inferno tornado. They spun around, firing cyan energy and fiery flames before they slammed the ground, creating a tsunami of their combined energy.

Team Feral Strike entered the battle, as the Zone Cops appeared out of nowhere.

"What were you, napping?" Dakota asked the cops.

Zonic, Zespio, and Zector didn't answer the question because they were too busy helping their Prime Zone counterparts buy their friends some time.

Lil' Blue sat down in the command chair while Tails ripped open a vent and ducked underneath; he was greeted to a bunch of gadgets, gizmos, wires, and levers. Yanking out wires, Tails connected a few plugs together and cleaned a few of the outlets keen on activating the ship. Tails grabbed a blue wire and connected to the red one, as he flipped a few switches and pulled a red lever.

The short hedgehog crouched down and watched his older best friend go to work.

He widened his eyes, as he saw Tails do things he never imagined he'd do. While he was well aware thus was a Tails from a universe different than his, he still wondered if his own best friend could do that.

Said fox pulled out one more wire before he plugged two of them together.

"Try it now!" he said.

Lil' Blue turned the keys and waited a few seconds. The ship's engine finally started.

The hedgehog went to high-five the fox, but the latter unintentionally ignored him to call his friends. "Guys! I got it started! Let's go!"

In the horizon, Infinite was boosting towards the battleship. The Secret Strikers, Team Feral Strike, and Zone Cops finished the last herd of enemies before they noticed the magenta canine running up like a dog being called for food.

Without hesitation, they all ran inside the ship and closed the doors. The resistance sat in their seats while the Zone Cops preferred to stand. Buckling their seatbelts, everyone was prepared to go.

"Step on it, Tails!" Amy shouted.

Tails pulled the driver's levers towards him and slammed his finger against a red button. The shuttle slowly rose up from the ground and spewed out a gallon of smoke; Infinite was caught in the black cloud and he began coughing. He flew out to get some fresh air into his lungs, as the shuttle's back engine shot out fire. Turning to the right, the shuttle took off faster than the speed of light; a white flash created a loud sonic boom. Infinite covered his ears and snarled at the obnoxious sound.

Lowering himself to the ground, he glanced up and saw that the ship was gone.

The Secret Strikers were close to saving Sonic.

"No… no, no, no, _NO!_ " Infinite grunted angrily and stomped back and forth. He slammed his hands on the ground and howled like the canine he was. Panting, he slowly placed his hand on the glowing gemstone and sighed.

It was at that moment where he had a memory of his old Jackal Squad.

* * *

 _~Flashback_

The Ultimate Mercenary was being bombarded with all sorts of warning from his friends, but the deal made by Dr. Eggman made its way into the mixture of voices that replayed on his head. Him and Eggman shared a common hatred for Sonic so it would make sense if the two worked together. But at the same time, Finn didn't think working with Dr. Eggman would be the best idea. After seeing what the Phantom Ruby could do, he wondered what power could lie in such an advanced jewel. He turned to his jackals and gave them a heavy sigh, right before he made his choice.

" _I accept your offer,"_ Finn replied.

Metal Sonic stepped off the jackal, allowing him to get up.

Dr. Eggman held out his hand for a handshake. Finn took his hand and returned the handshake.

" _Let's do it, Doctor Eggman,"_ Finn smiled evilly. _"I will help you change this world."_

A new partnership was now declared.

The rest of the Jackal Squad knew that this wasn't going to be pretty.

Lance cupped his hands over his mouth.

Jay clenched his fur.

Pierce pressed his hands together and prayed this was all a bad dream.

Tempest… she got up on her feet and clenched her fists. She walked towards her leader and slapped him across the face. She then punched him in the gut before flipping him on his back. She pulled her arm back to hit him again, but Finn grabbed her fist and tripped her off her feet. The other jackals raced in to stop the quarrel, but Finn motioned them to back off. They obeyed.

The female jackal tightened her green vest and cracked her fingers.

Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic stepped back, watching the fight escalate.

" _You're… you're an idiot, Finn!"_ she cried. _"How could you side with him!? You're not serious, are you?"_

Finn gritted his fangs. _"Of course I'm serious! This is my only chance to get revenge on the hedgehog who wronged me!"_

" _You can't live like this, Finn! Wanting to kill someone because of what happened years ago! It's time for you to grow up and move on!"_

Finn then did the unspeakable.

He rushed over and punched Tempest smack in the face. _**(6)**_

Everyone, including Dr. Eggman gasped. The three jackals knew that Finn and Tempest would get into fights, but they were never _this_ physical. They would often clash blades to let off some steam or they would gently spare, but no one… _no one_ has ever seen their leader punch Tempest in the face like that.

The jackal collapsed on her side; a huge red mark appeared on her face.

Clenching her cheek, Tempest slowly got up and saw the look of rage in Finn's eyes. Said jackal huffed and puffed before he had realized what he had done. His rage burned quickly, as he tried to help her up. But Tempest smacked his hands and helped herself up. She brushed off her pants and looked at her leader one last time.

Pierce, Lance, and Tempest gathered around her.

" _Guys… please,"_ Finn said, offering his hand. _"I- "_

" _No!"_ Tempest said, stepping back. _"It's clear you've made up your mind… and we… we understand."_

Finn was silent; his face dropped.

" _We'll just… stay out of your way."_

Tempest, Pierce, and Jay packed up their belongings and began walking away. Lance bowed to his leader as one final goodbye. He ran to this squad and started walking alongside them. Finn tried to stop them from leaving, but he figured… what was the point?

He clearly showed his friends that he hasn't moved on from whatever Sonic did in the past, and hitting Tempest only showed that rage was getting worse. The black-furred jackal lowered his eyes to the ground, as he closed them. He wanted to cry; he felt that urge to just get it out of his system, but because of his position was the Ultimate Mercenary, he shook his head and held back his tears.

Wiping his eyes, he watched as his Jackal Squad disappeared into the sunlight.

Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic exchanged looks of confusion and curiosity. The latter walked forward and placed his hand on the jackal's shoulder. Dr. Eggman tossed the Phantom Ruby in the air and caught it. He did this a few times to ease the tension, as he walked back inside the pyramid.

Metal Sonic took his hand off and told the jackal that the doctor is expecting him.

Nodding his head, Finn decided to take one last moment to remember his squad. He then walked back to the base with the metal hedgehog. With one last sigh, he had to himself…

" _They wouldn't understand."_

* * *

 _~Present Day_

Infinite pressed his hands together and sighed. He reached up to take off his mask, but he paused. He set his hands down and flexed his fingers. He turned around and watched as the sun was setting below the horizon. It reminded him of that very day he lost everything he had.

He lifted himself up in the air and took to the skies. He needed to report all of what he's been through today to Dr. Eggman. But before he skyrocketed to space, he had one last thing to say to himself.

"They wouldn't understand." _**(6s)**_

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 12**_

* * *

 _The Secret Strikers have successfully raided the Space Port and have accomplished Phase 1 of their plan to save Sonic. Now, it's onto Phase 2: Navigate through the Death Egg. But what is our hero up to? Not to worry, he isn't watching anymore movie trailers. He and the Forget Me Knots are during their time in jail, following Eggman's ridiculous rules. But it won't be long until the resistance arrives to save them. Shadow and Rouge have a plan to help Sonic escape, but we shall see what that plan is very soon. Poor Infinite. What vendetta could he possibly have against Sonic? I guess we will learn more about him as the story progresses. Find out what Sonic is up to in..._

 _"Chapter 13: Operation: Let's Save Sonic!"_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _Yeah, I'm not doing the whole "Shadow is responsible for killing the Jackal Squad" thing. I've decided against it as it has been done many times in these rewrites. I've decided to make all the Jackal Squad members leave after what Finn just did. This story's take on Episode: Shadow will be very different than the original but also similar._

 _Looks like Skylar has a some feelings for Clay... or does she?_

 _Tails is still trying to get used to Lil' Blue being around. It may take him a while to accept that he didn't mean any harm in Chapter 10._

 _As always, don't forget to favorite, follow, and review. Thanks for taking a time to read. Let me know what you liked and what needs to be improved. I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you all next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	13. Into the Death Egg

_**A/N:** So, here we are, everyone. Our next story arc for Sonic Heroes: The Atom Bomb. The first story arc was the Dawn of the Eggman Empire, the second one was Rise of the Secret Strikers, now we have Operation: Let's Save Sonic! This arc will last a total of three chapters and it will focus on the SS saving Sonic from Eggman's clutches. So without further delay, let's start chapter one of Sonic's rescue._

 _Guest Reviews:_

 _Cats Rule: Yes, the Jackal Squad live in this!_

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) The Deadly Six Theme (Orchestra) - Sonic Lost World OST_**

 ** _(2) Gaul - Well of Souls - The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night OST_**

 ** _(3) Sandman - Maelstrom - Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

 ** _NOTE* This chapter has been edited as of 5/19/2019_**

* * *

 **Operation: Let's Save Sonic!: Part 1: Into the Death Egg**

As the Secret Strikers make their way to the Death Egg, Sonic continues to go through torture. He wasn't watching anymore movie trailers, thankfully, but he was doing something just as worse: cleaning the girl's bathroom with a toothbrush.

But he wasn't alone: Max the Monkey, Mach the Rabbit, and Sharps the Chicken were joining him.

They were all scrubbing the walls, sinks, and toilets with nothing but toothbrushes, which was cruel punishment in Eggman's eyes. Though, the fact that they were cleaning the place with dental objects wasn't the only bad part of it; it was the smell of bathroom itself. Sonic sniffed the air and cringed. It smelled like perfume, green apples, and rotten oranges. Shaking his head, Sonic continued cleaning, as he looked at the light blue rings that restricted his powers.

The former band players made the walls squeaky clean and were about to do the same to floors.

"You know," Sonic said to them. "They make this process so much easier in military movies."

Max bent over and scrubbed the floor. "You wanna know what doesn't make sense. Why are cleaning the girl's room while Mina cleans the men's room? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"Someone _finally_ said it!" Mach rolled his eyes.

As they continued cleaning, someone came into the bathroom looking like she's seen a ghost; it was Mina Mongoose. Her violet and green dress was dirty, and her hair was fuzzy, bushy, and frizzy. Her pupils looked as if they were going to explode and her jaw nearly touched the ground. Her yellow fur was tingling, and her ears were flickering.

Everyone noticed this and approached her.

"What happened to _you!?_ " Sonic asked.

Mina's voice shook as she spoke. "I… I… clean… men's… gross… my… hair's… a… mess… don't go in the men's room."

Max snapped his toothbrush in half and threw it on the ground. "That's _it!_ I'm _sick_ of these chores! We've had to work café duty, janitorial duty, and now _this!_ The next time I see Eggman, I'm gonna- "

"You're gonna _what?_ " the voice of Metal Sonic spooked the workers. The robot's glowing red eyes stared into the souls of the monkey; the latter didn't know what to say. Backing away, he slowly picked up his broken toothbrush and continued cleaning. Mina rolled her eyes at her friend's cowardice act. "That's what I thought. You're coming with me, Hedgehog. Time to get back to your cell."

Sonic looked at the Forget Me Knots and pointed at them. "As much as I'd love to leave this disgusting place, I'm not gonna leave these guys behind. So, I'm staying."

Metal whipped out a remote and pressed the button; a surge of electricity ran through Sonic's body.

The band gathered together to fight back against Metal, but the metallic hedgehog smacked them around and knocked them to the ground. He flipped Mina over and she fell on her back. Grabbing Sonic, he dragged him out of the girl's restroom.

They exited and walked down the hall.

"Hey!" Sonic snarled, as he tried to escape Metal's clutches. "Let go of me, tin can!"

Metal stormed down the path until he bumped into Shadow, who had his arms folded.

"Out of the way, Shadow," the robot snarled.

"Metal, what are you doing?" Shadow asked.

"I have orders to take this rodent back to his cell. Dr. Eggman has plans for him later."

"Don't you have better things to do aside from taking Sonic to prison. Didn't you promise Zazz you'd play basketball with him, Zomom, and Zik?"

Metal cocked his head to the right, scratching his head. "Yeah… I did. They're probably waiting for me downstairs."

Shadow took Sonic and held him by his quills. "Why don't you take some time off? I'll take it from here."

"Really?... Okay, thanks, Shadow." Metal said, as he patted the black hedgehog on the back and walked off to play basketball. As soon as he left, Shadow released Sonic.

Sonic rubbed the back of his quills. "Thanks for squeezing my quills, Faker!"

Shadow looked left and right; no one was here besides him and Sonic. "Listen, Sonic. I need to tell you something… two hours ago, the Secret Strikers raided the Chemical Plant and stole one of Eggman's shuttles…. They know you're alive."

Sonic stopped rubbing his head and widened his eyes. Finally, his friends were coming to his rescue.

"Are you serious?" he whispered before he shouted. " _YES!_ I'm gonna mi amigos again! Heck to the yeah, this day just got way past cool!"

"Shh, shh, keep it down! Someone will hear you!"

"Oh… sorry. So, what's the plan? You gonna take me to them?"

Shadow looked around one more time. "Here's the plan. I'm gonna take you back to your cell and wait for the resistance to arrive. Then, when no one's around, Rouge, Omega, and I will- "

Suddenly, a brute tone interrupted the conversation.

"Shadow!" it was Zavok. He walked near the two hedgehogs. "Are you talking to the prisoner?"

The ebony G.U.N. agent folded his arms. "No, I wasn't. I was just telling him that he has no chance of escaping." He then grabbed the hedgehog's arms and pulled him down the walkway. "You're coming with me, Rat."

Both Mobians left the walkway, leaving Zavok to stroke his chin. Clearly, he was suspicious of the black hedgehog and he was determined to find out what was going on. He clenched his fists and started to follow them.

* * *

After two hours of flying through space, the Secret Strikers have finally made it to the Death Egg. The fortress's doors slowly opened, allowing the heroes to bypass through security with ease. They landed in an area that looked similar to the Space Port's shuttle base, except it wasn't cold or covered in chemicals.

Landing the ship, two security drones went to check on the pilots. But Espio and Vector opened the doors and pulled the robots inside. The only part of them that came out was their heads. The Secret Strikers walked out of the ship and hid behind it, not wanting to get caught by some of the robots that were working on the ships.

Knuckles and Amy peeked over and saw that no Badniks were paying attention to them, giving them a chance to discuss a plan.

"Sonic's captured in the orbiting prison, so we'll split up and cover more ground," Knuckles said. "Chaotix, Silver, Blaze, Feral Strike, you guys are with Amy and me. Tails, take Lil' Blue and… what the?"

Everyone turned around and saw Zespio and Zector leaving through a Warp Ring; they were going back to their zone. Zonic stepped one foot in before Amy stopped him.

"Hey, hey, hey, where're you going?" she asked.

Zonic paused. "As I said before, my Zone is dealing with its own problems. My mission was to get you where you needed to go. I'm going to let you all take it from here."

"So, you're just gonna leave us?" Charmy asked. "That stinks! You're so cool!"

"Ha! Thanks, kid," Zonic smiled. "I'll be back to see how things are when I get the chance. Until then, go save Sonic… he needs you."

Knuckles approached the hedgehog and placed a hand on his shoulder. Zonic turned and noticed the echidna was offering a hand.

"Thank you for everything you've done, Zonic," Knuckles nodded. "We wouldn't be where we are if it weren't for you."

Zonic smiled and shook the commander's hand. "You're welcome, Knuckles. It was my pleasure… good luck to you, Secret Strikers." He jumped through the Warp Ring and the portal disappeared. The Secret Strikers regrouped and continued talking.

"Everyone know the plan?" Knuckles asked. His team nodded. "Good… let's do it to it."

The team, except for Tails and Lil' Blue split up. The two heroes nodded before they ran in the other direction.

* * *

Inside Dr. Eggman's laboratory, Infinite was ranting.

He was showing the doctor a diagram of what happened to the Chemical Plant as well as Mobius as a whole: Places from the Mania Zone have been added to the Prime Zone. As Infinite scrolled through the slideshow. Orbot and Cubot cupped their hands over their mouths, shocked that this happened to their world.

Their boss was stroking his mustache and eating a steak sandwich. He took a bite when he saw that Mobotropolis and Studiopolis had become one. Infinite stopped showing images and left a picture of Mobius on the screen.

"Do you see this?" the jackal said; he was scared. "Do you _see_ what's happened here!?"

"Yeah, I see it," Dr. Eggman replied. "I don't see what the big deal is."

Infinite rolled his eye before slamming the desk Eggman was sitting at. "Something is happening here! I was just as the Space Port, fighting the Secret Strikers, when suddenly, buildings, towers, and other structures started popping out of the ground! They had the same glitchy affect as the Phantom Ruby, leading me to believe that gemstone did this!"

"You mean the gemstone you're wearing on your chest?"

Infinite looked down and back up. "That's not important! The one I have is a prototype, you have the real deal! It's clear that thing is causing this to happen!"

"Again… not seeing the problem here."

Face-palming himself, Infinite walked away from the desk and started pacing back and forth. "This could mean we're causing a collapse in the multiverse. I happen to know this because I've studied dimensional travel in school. Because of our abuse to the Phantom Ruby, we're making dimensions merge with our world! If we don't stop this, our world will fall apart!"

Dr. Eggman took another bite of his sandwich before looking at the real Phantom Ruby that sat next to him. He placed his sandwich down and picked up the ruby, analyzing its twenty sides. He got up from his chair and slowly walked, looking at the new map of Mobius.

"You know what I see?" he asked.

"What?" the jackal replied.

"I see this as a chance to rule over more land. The more land we have, the more forces I can expand across the globe."

Infinite clenched his claws into his mask. "You're an idiot! This could lead to a catastrophic anomaly! You're becoming addicted to the Phantom Ruby's powers!"

"Need I remind you that this thing helped you took down Sonic? Remember, you agreed to help me rule the world and in exchange, I'd help you kill Sonic."

"We still haven't killed that infernal rodent! He's still alive!"

"And he will be dealt with later… look, Infinite. I really don't see a big deal in all of this. It will all just blow away the next day. Now, get out of my office, please. I have big plans to attend do."

Infinite stormed out of the office after grunting and groaning in annoyance. Even through the office window, he could be seen kicking random objects around.

"Multiverse collapsing. _Bah!_ " Dr. Eggman chuckled, holding the ruby upward. "That'll be the day."

Orbot and Cubot watched as their boss ate his food and continued studied the ruby. The two robots whispered to each other.

"Bet you fifty Mobiums Infinite betrays Eggman," Orbot said.

"Deal!" Cubot smiled. "And I bet you sixty Mobiums Eggman betrays Infinite."

"Ha! That'll be the day!"

"You know, I can hear you two!?" Dr. Eggman said.

* * *

Tails and Lil' Blue weren't exactly sure where they'd ended up, but they knew they were alone. The other resistance members were busy looking for Sonic. They didn't see anybody. On one hand, they were thankful because anybody included every single member of the Illusionary Legion. But on the other hand, none of their friends were around. No Knuckles, no Amy, no Chaotix, etc…

But the two did have their coms at least and Tails had his arm cannon. Lil' Blue also had his supersonic speed and agility.

The two of them walked until Lil' Blue let out a loud yawn. Nervous it might attract unwanted attention, Tails rudely shushed him.

"Shh! Be quiet, Lil' Blue!" he whispered. "You're gonna get us caught."

"Sorry," Lil' Blue said. "It's been a long day. Fighting Ro-butt-nik, causing the Phantom Ruby to react weirdly, getting sucked through a portal, winding up in another dimension, Zone Cops, Space Port, I want to get some sleep."

"We'll get some rest once we rescue Sonic… I mean, my Sonic. This world's Sonic… you get the point."

Lil' Blue rubbed his head, as he lowly sighed. He recalled laughing at the fact Mobius Prime's Sonic was dead, and he felt awful for doing so; it was out of character for him. He would never laugh at someone's death, much less his own. He imagined how Tails must have felt when his Sonic died a hero, sacrificing himself to save an entire city and his family. That sounds like something Lil' Blue would do for his own friends and home.

He turned to the fox and tapped him on his side. "Listen, little-I mean, Big Bro… I want to apologize for being so rude earlier. I should've known better than to laugh at your Sonic's demise. He died a hero… and I admire him for that."

"Well… he's alive now," Tails replied.

"I know that, but you didn't know that at the time… Tails, I'm sorry for laughing earlier… I hope to make it up to you by rescuing your best friend. I don't expect total forgiveness, but I hope in the end… you and I could become good friends. We don't have to be close as brothers, but… I just want to know that you have my trust and I trust you."

Tails replied. "No one else laughed when they heard that Sonic was dead. I know he's alive now, but when you laughed when I told you about his death, it really hurt. It felt like you were making fun of his death while millions of people mourned the loss of their hero. He wasn't just a hero; Sonic was like the older brother I never had."

Lil' Blue paused for a moment before he rubbed his arm and said, "Back in my universe… there's a version of you, Tails whose like a little brother to me. If he died and I told someone the news, and they laughed, claiming it was a joke… not gonna lie, it would hurt."

The yellow kitsune was silent for one minute. It was clear the short hedgehog had a heart and that he felt bad for what he did in the café. He went to say something until the two of them heard a whoosh behind them. Turning around, they saw a shadowy figure. Approaching out of the shadows…

…was Chaos.

"Hey, I stomped this guy in the head!" Lil' Blue said, pulling down his right glove. "I assume you want a rematch, big guy? All righty then, show me what you're made of!"

The aquatic creature stepped forward… and he held out his hand. Lil' Blue and Tails were confused. They looked at each other before looking back at Chaos. He wasn't doing anything. He was offering a hand of peace and starring at the two heroes. Tails was hesitant to shake hands with him until Chaos gently took his hand and shook it.

"Uh… okay?" Lil' Blue raised an eyebrow. "What's going on here?"

"I see you're getting better at shaking hands," a certain bat named Rouge stepped in, as Chaos released the fox's hand. He nodded, as Rouge patted him on the back. "Hey, boys. Long time no see."

"Rouge?" Tails gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Long story short. Shadow, Omega, Chaos, and I are faking our alliance with the Illusionary Legion. Team Dark and I are here on an undercover mission. Chaos… well, we're not sure what his reasons are. He refused to tell us, but I'm sure he'll explain it to you guys."

"So, wait? Shadow's not the bad guy?"

"Nope, he just saved Sonic from being bossed around by Metal. I believe he took Big Blue back to his jail cell. Speaking of blue, who's this little fella?"

Lil' Blue rolled his eyes. "You know, I'm sensitive about my size, all right?"

"Rouge, this is Lil' Blue," Tails introduced the blue blur to the bat. "He's from another dimension. Lil' Blue, this is Rouge: A spy for the G.U.N."

Lil' Blue gave the fox a bamboozled look.

"They're a government agency."

Lil' Blue nodded.

"Wait a second, did you say he's from another dimension?" Rouge asked. "How did he get here?"

"It's quite an explanation," Tails chuckled, shaking his head. "Where's the prison Sonic's located in?"

Rouge smiled. "Follow me and I'll show ya,"

"That won't be necessary, Miss," said the ominous, old tone of Master Zik. He and the other Deadly Six (except Zavok) were present. Each of them surrounded the four people in a circle. Zazz growled and laughed, hoping he'd get to rip them apart. Zeena and Zomom sneered. Zor just sighed. And Zik twirled his cane.

"Looks like we have two traitors in our legion," Zor said, taking a low breath. "What a predicament."

"Correction, Zor. We have _four_ traitors." Zik said. "The black hedgehog and the robot are still here."

Rouge shrugged her shoulders and smiled at the Zeti. "Zik, Zomom, Zor, Zeena, Zazz. My bros and my sister. How do you do?"

"Cut the act, witch!" Zeena smirked. "We know you and the water creature are criminals. And you know what happens to criminals, don't you?" _**(1)**_

Rouge's smile turned into an angry facial gesture. Zazz laughed again before pulling the alarm on the side of the wall. An annoying noise wailed throughout the room. Tails pressed a button on his wrist band and activated his Arm Cannon. Lil' Blue wiped his nose and clenched his fists. Chaos extended his claws. And Rouge reached behind her and took out heart-shaped grenades.

"I'm gonna tear these losers apart!" Zazz said with a psychotic cackle. "And once I'm done with them! Those other Secret Stinkers are next!"

"Hey, guess what?" Lil' Blue asked. He ran up Zazz's back and pulled on the skinny man's spikey hair; the Zeti bellowed out a loud scream, as Lil' Blue continued to pull on his hair. "You smell like you need a bath!"

Lil' Blue grabbed onto Zazz's cheeks before he swung off and kicked the Zeti in the chest, making him land on his back. He then curled into a ball and spun dash into Zomom's stomach, which only made him bounce off. The fat monster laughed hysterically before he grabbed the short hero, dribbled him around like a basketball, and slammed him against the ground.

Thankfully, Chaos was able to grab the Zeti and lift him off the ground. He chucked him over his shoulder before he swatted at the other Zeti. Tails grabbed Lil' Blue and pulled him on his feet. Rouge whipped out her smoke bombs and slammed them against the floor.

A puff of smoke clouded the Zeti.

In a split second, the heroes were gone.

"Find them!" Zik slammed his cane against his palm. "They mustn't escape!"

The five Zeti took a bit to find the heroes until they heard the sound of footsteps above them. They looked up and saw that the four heroes were running across the catwalk, making their way up the stairs to the next floor.

"Get them!" Zik demanded. Zor jumped on Zazz's back, as the purple madman crawled up the walls like a spider. Zeena and Master Zik jumped above and started chasing the heroes up the stairs. Zomom patted his stomach before he followed behind on foot.

Rushing up the stairs like crazy, Tails and Lil' Blue noticed that the five minions were chasing after them. The former shot energy projectiles downward, trying to hit the Zeti, but Zazz hopped out of the way and chucked Zor upward.

The emo creature created two purple balls of energy with his hands and shot them at the fox. Chaos leaped before the projectiles and blocked them with his shielded them with his watery abilities. Tails and Chaos worked together to shove Zor out of the way, as they continued following Rouge.

But just as the bat got to the third set, Zik jumped in front of her and swept her off her feet with his cane. She fell down the stairs, but Lil' Blue caught her, holding her in a bridal style.

Tails and Chaos caught up and saw that the Zeti surrounded them from both sides.

"Jump!" Rouge said. Everyone bounded off the side.

Tails flew down to the floor while Chaos slid down the walls. They landed on the ground and looked back up, as the five villains chased after them. Tails fired more electric orbs while Chaos and Zomo escalated into a donnybrook.

Zomom punched Chaos and slammed his back against the wall, but the latter morphed into a puddle and slide downward, trapping the cubby Zeti's feet. Tails transformed his cannon into a chain and swung it around. He was able to land a hit on Zik and Zazz, but Zeena dodged the attack and kicked the fox in the chest.

Rouge flew over and grabbed Zeena, lifting her off her feet. She was holding her by the hair.

"Hey!" the omnicidal female swatted at the bat's wings. "Let me go! You're messing up my hair!"

"Certainly," Rouge giggled, as she dropped Zeena and watched her land on her back. Chaos grabbed Zomom and rolled him into the female and the other monsters like a bowling ball hitting pins. All Zeti flew into the air before they landed on their stomachs.

Wiping his hands, Tails cracked his fingers before he heard a sudden voice behind him.

"Tails?" it was Sonic.

The fox gasped and turned around, seeing a dark shadow that looked just like his best friend. Tails reached his hand out and called his friend again, but the hedgehog stepped back and ran away from the scene. Tails gasped again and chased after him.

"Sonic, wait for me!"

"Tails, hold up!" Lil' Blue began to run after, but Chaos let him know that the Zeti weren't done yet. Recovering from their defeat, the group was ready for a round two. Rouge and Chaos nodded to each other before they grabbed Lil' Blue and jumped back up the stairs.

"Wait!" Lil' Blue shouted. "Tails is in trouble!"

"I'll get him!" Rouge flew back down to help the fox, but she was quickly cut off once a random purple, red, and blue spark appeared in front. Just then, a small piece of Green Hill from the Mania Zone shot out of the ground and blocked her path. She gasped and flew back up to Chaos and Lil' Blue. The five Zeti gasped when they saw this happen, wondering just what the heck was going on. It was strange.

"What the heck was that?" Rouge asked.

Lil' Blue knew what was going on, as a tree from Green Hill shot out of the wall, almost stabbing Chaos. "…Oh, no." he said. "Tails!" _**(1s)**_

* * *

Sonic ran across the hallway with Tails following behind him. He was going as fast as possible and the fox was flying after him like in the old days. Said fox panted and wiped his sweaty forehead, as he flew after his brother.

"Sonic, why are you running?" Tails asked. "It's me, Tails!"

"Come on, little buddy!" Sonic said. "I gotta show you something!"

"We don't have time for that!" Tails said. He was suddenly spooked once another piece of Green Hill popped out of nowhere. "Sonic, we need to get out of here!"

Sonic didn't listen to him and just kept running.

Finding this unusual, Tails rubbed his head and followed the blue blur into a doorway.

Together, they wound up in a large circular area with a large window on the ceiling; the stars from outer space glistened from above and illuminated the room's darkness. Tails landed on the ground because Sonic finally decided to take a rest. The blue hedgehog wasn't panting, breathing, or even doing anything. He was just sitting there as still as ice.

Tails slowly walked near his best friend, reaching his hand out.

"Sonic?" he asked. "What's wrong?" _**(2)**_

Just as he made physical contact, the blue hedgehog disintegrated into red cubes. Aforementioned cubes blew off into the air, leaving the fox both shocked and confused. And that's when the lights suddenly turned on, shining their heavy beams upon the fox's face. Shielding his eyes, Tails stepped backward and grunted.

The lights suddenly dimmed down, letting the fox see the environment he was in.

Not only was he trapped in a different room, he was in a colosseum.

"What in the world?" Tails asked, as he heard a microphone from above. A loud laughter came from it.

" _Mwa-hahahahahahahahaha!_ " cackled the menacing presence of Dr. Eggman. He, Infinite, Metal, Orbot, and Cubot were sitting in the audience. They were the only ones there; the doctor was eating popcorn, nachos, a sandwich, and other foods. Infinite had a bowl of toast in his hands and the robots obviously had no food. " _Welcome, Miles Prower! So glad you can make it to my Egg Colosseum! Now, I do wish the other Secret Strikers could join us here today, but you're actually the guest I've wanted to see."_

Tails stepped forward and pointed at the doctor. "Eggman! What have you done with Sonic!?"

" _Sonic? Ah, yes. The annoying blue hedgehog I've killed six months ago!"_

"Don't act stupid with me! I know he's alive! Tell me where he is!"

Dr. Eggman and Infinite glanced at each other before the former snapped his fingers.

 _ **RATTLE! RATTLE! RATTLE!**_

A prison door beside the fox opened slowly.

Another dark figure was inside; its emerald green eyes were angry, and he huffed and puffed. Tails gulped and stood back; his hand was wrapped around his wrist and his tails were slowly fluttering up and down.

The figure stepped outside and revealed his true colors: Sonic the Hedgehog.

"S-Sonic?" Tails whispered. "Is… is that you?"

The cobalt hedgehog smirked at his best friend at first before he revved up a spin dash. And without hesitation, he boosted towards his best friend. Tails jumped out of the way, but Sonic swerved back around and whacked the fox across the cheek. Sonic then untucked and rolled across the ground, kicking Tails in the chest in the process. _**(2s)**_

"Sonic?' Tails asked. "What are you- _Gah!_ " _**(3)**_

Grabbing his arm, Sonic flipped the fox on his back.

"Finally!" Dr. Eggman said to his cohorts. "The fight I've always wanted to see! Sonic vs Tails: The fight of the brothers!... Oh, that sounds like a cage fight! I should make that into a poster!"

Infinite rolled his eyes at that comment.

Orbot and Cubot were wearing Sonic-themed jerseys and matching hats.

Metal Sonic blankly stared.

Sonic punched Tails twice before sending him against the wall with a Sonic Wind. He rushed towards the fox and slammed him against the ground with a heavy kick. He pulled his fist back and prepared to slam the ground, but Tails rolled out of the way and whipped out his chain.

Smacking Sonic three times, he wrapped his weapon around him.

"Sonic! Why are you doing this!? It's me, Tails, you're best friend!"

"Best friend? My best friend left me to die!"

"W-what!?"

Sonic broke free and kicked Tails in the chest.

Rolling across the steel floor, Tails recovered and continued to fight against Sonic, but he also went easy on him because he had no idea why he was attacking him. The fact that he claimed Tails let him die was absurd, how could he say such a thing when he clearly sacrificed himself? Tails rambled through a million answers in his head, as he dodged all of Sonic's attacks.

"You little runt!" Sonic snarled, trapping Tails in an arm lock. "How could you leave me to die like that!? I thought we were brothers!?"

"Sonic, what are you talking about!?" Tails snarled until he thought of a quick solution.

"You left me to die in that explosion, you cried that you needed to escape. I told you that I needed your help, but you just ran away like a baby, leaving me to die while saving that city!... Heh, some best friend you turned out to be."

Tails smirked and squinted his eyes. "You wanna know something, Sonic?... You were the one who picked me up and chucked me in the water while you tried to diffuse the bomb."

Sonic's evil grin wiped away in a fearful gesture. He was busted.

Spinning his twin tails around, the young genius lashed out a spin attack that stunned the hedgehog. He then shot him in the chest with a laser and sent him flying against the wall.

"Where's Sonic!?" Tails demanded an answer.

" _I'm_ Sonic!" the fake hedgehog replied.

"Sure you are, and I'm Samba de Amigo!" Tails retorted in a sarcastic manner, as he twirled his chain around and charged at the hedgehog. "Fine! If you won't tell me where he is, I'll _make_ you tell me!"

"I can't believe you're accusing me of being a fake!" Sonic snarled, wiping his lips. "Okay… you want a pounding; _you'll get a pounding!_ "

As the two charged at one another, Shadow the Hedgehog was hiding on the bleachers, blending in the darkness. He watched as the two fought one another; he knew the hedgehog was a fake one. He nodded his head and took out his Chaos Emerald. He then used Chaos Control to get away, wanting to warn the real Sonic about what was happening.

Then, Tails and Sonic squared off in a battle that no one will ever forget. _**(3s)**_

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 13**_

* * *

 _It's Sonic vs Tails in a battle between brothers! Who will win and who will fall? As the two brothers fight, the real Sonic is stuck in his prison cell, waiting for someone to rescue him. Luckily, the Secret Strikers are making their way down the Prison Hall as we speak, so the hedgehog will be rescued as soon as possible! Looks like Infinite is concerned about the multiverse anomaly that's happening. But Dr. Eggman doesn't seem to care. Looks like someone's been spending a lot of time with the Phantom Ruby. Anyways, the stakes are high as Tails is fighting a fake Sonic and the Secret Strikers are working to save their friend. How will the next two parts escalate? Find out in..._

 _"Chapter 14: Operation: Let's Save Sonic!: Part 2"_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _TGN, you're favorite moment from the very first Sonic Heroes: The Atom Bomb is coming up. Get ready!_

 _Tails is still warming up to Lil' Blue. Sure, he did feel bad for the poor hedgehog when he brought up his friends from his own universe in the last chapter, but he won't forget the time the little dude laughed at Modern Sonic's death._

 _I think Team Dark and Chaos have overstayed their welcome in the Illusionary Legion. They're going to be resigning soon._

 _For any old school fans of the original Sonic Heroes: The Atom Bomb and Sonic and the Secret Strikers, you'll catch a small reference to the time Sonic worked in cafeteria duty back then. I decided not to do that again because I've done it twice and I wanted to join in on the Sonic movie memes. Because that whole movie will pretty much be a giant meme. But at least Detective Pikachu is getting great reviews._

 _As always, let me know what you liked and let me know what needs to be improved. Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review. I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	14. The Death Queen

_**A/N:** Well, here it is, folks! Part 2 of the Operation: Let's Save Sonic story arc. For those who were fans of the original edition of this story, you may come across a huge setup to the next chapter. And I know I keep mentioning this to you especially, TGN, prepare to pack some tissues because you're about to have some feels._

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Nowhere to Run (Prison Hall) - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(2) Zavok Appears - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(3) Battle with Death Queen (Battle with Zavok Remix) - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(4) Gaul Phase 2 - The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night OST_**

 ** _(5) Bowser Battle - Super Mario Galaxy OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

 ** _*NOTE: This chapter has been edited as of 5/19/2019_**

* * *

 **Operation: Let's Save Sonic!: Part 2: The Death Queen**

 _ **(1)**_ "Well, so much for the element of surprise," Corvin quipped. The Secret Strikers have been running down a section of the Death Egg called the Prison Hall. Zonic told them this is where they will find their missing friend, but they had hoped to get there through stealth. Unfortunately, since Tails, Rouge, Lil' Blue, and Chaos were caught by the Deadly Six, they went to their last resort; take down that shoots at you.

"This alarm is so loud, I can't monologue!" Clay said, holding his ears with a tight grip. He released his floppy ears when he quickly saw an army of Badniks in front of him, Knuckles, and Amy.

The three of them wiped out the wave of enemies before a second one showed up.

Skylar and Emma fired them away, as they fist-bumped one another.

The echidna and the pink hedgehog ran down a set of stairs with the Secret Strikers following behind. They were rapidly stepping down a flight of swirly steps, something that Buster particularly hated.

"Oh, man!" he said, feeling the urge to throw up. "I really hate these types of stairs!"

"Don't throw up now, Buster Beeza," Clay said, gently patting his friend on the back. "We got a hedgehog to rescue, remember?"

"Finally, you're taking this seriously!" Gadget said.

"I wasn't taking it seriously before?"

Gadget rolled his eyes and ran down the steps.

Grinding down the rails, the resistance jumped off and continued down the hall.

"Let's wrap this up, team! We're one step closer to saving Sonic!" Knuckles shouted.

"You all heard the boss! Let's push to the finish!" Skylar nodded. "Silver, little help with this next round?"

Silver glanced up and saw three Egg Hammers standing in his way. "On it!" he said. He clapped his hands together and wiped them against the floor with a psychic wave.

"Blaze, light em' up!" Emma smiled.

"Will do, Emma!" The lavender cat winked, as she spun around and created a tornado of fire around her body. She crashed into several bots before upper-cutting one of them into the air. Silver was the one to take it down. Both superpowered strikers fought back against Eggman's forces.

Vector took a look around the environment. "Looks like this place was used up till recently."

"It appears that many of our brethren were held here." Espio commented.

Silver nodded. "That's one more thing Eggman will answer for!"

The Secret Strikers kept moving until they heard three rapid footsteps in the distance. They stopped and waited for the intruders to come and attack them, but they noticed that those weren't intruders at all… they were friends. Chaos, Rouge, and Lil' Blue emerged from a doorway and went to run in the other direction, but they wound up bumping into the Secret Strikers.

They were glad to see the small hedgehog again, but they were shocked when they saw Chaos and Rouge side by side.

"Hey, Knuckie," Rouge smirked.

"Rouge?" Knuckles asked. "Chaos? What is going on here?"

Amy held her hammer against Rouge's throat, snarling at her face. "I knew it! You and Chaos are working for Eggman! I should have known that considering Shadow's just as traitorous as you two! I assume Omega's here as well!"

Rouge gently tilted the hammer away from her face, as she spoke to the pink hero. "Funny you should mention Omega, he is here. But we're not working for Eggman. And by we, I mean me, Shadow, Chaos, and Omega. Team Dark and I have been on a secret G.U.N. mission for months while Chaos… well, like I told Tails, he's here for his own reason."

"Where is G.U.N?" Skylar asked.

"I'll tell ya later, honey," Rouge said. "Right now, we need to rescue Sonic and get the heck out of here!"

"You guys go do that!" Lil' Blue said, as he cracked his fingers and got into a running position. "I'm gonna look for Tails!"

"Where is he?" Emma asked.

Before Lil' Blue responded, a huge chunk from the Mania Zone's Emerald Hill rose from the ground, almost hitting Buster and Clay. Skylar and Emma pulled them out of the way and watched the luscious, grassy hills smack against the ceiling; dust and debris fell from below and collapsed on the ground.

"You gotta be kidding me! The multiverse just _has_ to do this now!?" Knuckles inquired.

"What is going on here?" Rouge shouted.

"Long story, where's Sonic?"

"Down the hall!" Rouge replied before she avoided another piece of Emerald Hill that came from the walls. "Hurry, follow me!"

"Go on ahead!" Lil' Blue ordered. He ran down the hall and jumped over parts of his homeland. "I'll catch up soon!"

The Secret Strikers nodded and followed the bat up a set of platforms. _**(1s)**_

* * *

Sonic and Mina were woken up from an early nap to the sound of an alarm throughout the entire prison. Max, Mach, and Sharps woke up as well and covered their ears. Mina gasped and cupped her hands together, as Sonic jumped out of bed and noticed that all of the prisoners had been woken up from their slumber. He slammed his hands against the bars and wondered what was going on.

He turned around and saw the scared expression on the mongoose's face; her jaw was shaking, and her body quivered. Wrapping her arms around her chest, she prayed that whatever was going on would stop.

Sonic was about to comfort her until he heard the sound of keys clinging and chains rattling. Turning around, he saw that Shadow was unlocked the doors and opened the cell. He approached Sonic and looked up at Mina. He then unlocked Sonic from his Inhibitor Rings; he took them off and flung them to the side. Sonic now had access to his powers again.

"Come on, Hedgehog, we need to get out of here!" Shadow said.

"Hold on, Shadow, what's going on here?" Sonic asked.

"We don't have much time. The Secret Strikers are on their way to get you, we need to meet up with them and get to the shuttles. But we need to hurry!"

"Mina, come down! You're coming with us!"

"Are you insane?"

"Yes!... wait, hold on, I take that back… actually, yes, I am!"

"Why are you taking her with you?"

"I promised her I'd help her find her boyfriend on Mobius, now let's get the rest of the prisoners out of here and let's go!"

Mina stepped down from the latter and watched as Shadow folded his arms.

"Fine," Shadow said. "Let's make it quick!"

But as he went out the cell door, a tall, brute, red monster slammed the doors; he trapped the three prisoners inside. Each of them widened their eyes and flickered their ears when they saw who closed the door. _**(2)**_

A muscular Zeti by the name of Zavok was the culprit. He snickered and ran his finger across the bars.

Shadow gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Sonic folded his arms and grinned at the Zeti. Mina didn't know what to do, so she just copied Sonic's facial movements.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. My old buddy, Zavok," the hedgehog quipped. "How's your family doin'? I hope they weren't offended when I tossed them into the lava on the Lost Hex."

"As a matter of fact, _we felt embarrassed!_ " Zavok growled, slamming the door. "Do you know how many Mobiums our hospital bill costed! We had to spend three weeks in there!"

"Sorry," Sonic said sarcastically.

"This is the end for you, Sonic, and you too, Shadow. Don't think I didn't know what you were up to the moment I saw you. I figured you, the bat, and the robot were up to something. You guys are pretty good at playing the game of betrayal."

"You're one to talk! You and the other Zeti betrayed Eggman!"

"Shadow, are you really letting this whelpling speak for you?"

Tightened the grip on his fists, Shadow nonchalantly came near Zavok and stared at him with his ticked off red eyes. He let out a deep exhale before he started rubbing his hands together. "Listen here, you arrogant fool! If you don't step aside in the next five seconds- "

"You'll what? Shoot me with your _'scary'_ Chaos Spears?"

Shadow turned around and smirked at Sonic; the latter smirked back. The two hedgehogs suddenly stood together and revved into a spin dash. Zavok thought about what they were planning when suddenly, both heroes bashed out of the prison and rammed themselves into Zavok's chest, knocking him off the platform.

The three of them fell on top of a hexagonal-shaped platform below. _**(2s)**_

Sonic and Shadow landed next to each other while Zavok huffed in annoyance.

"Do not think you'll be getting out of this alive!" the Zeti snarled. Mina looked over the railing and watched. Shadow looked up and tossed her the keys, motioning her to open the cells for the prisoners. The mongoose saluted the black hedgehog, as she started picking the locks to a bunch of cells. "You two will face the inevitable!"

"The only inevitable thing here is my foot going up your butt!" Sonic threatened, kicking his foot in the air.

"Is that so?... very well then… Death Queen, to me!" Zavok jumped backward and freefell into the bottomless pit below.

Sonic and Shadow looked confusedly for a moment, only for a massive sound to bombard the room. It was extremely loud, like a giant fan thrumming against their eardrums.

But they were quick discover that a giant Buzz Bomber three times Zavok's size sprouted from the ground. Speaking of the Zeti, he was riding on top of it. Slamming his fists together, he let out a mighty, monster roar that frightened Mina and some of the prisoners.

But Sonic and Shadow weren't intimidated at all. They realized that Mobius needed more heroes and they were going to head home and save their planet, no matter who stood in their way. They were going to win because they needed to win. _**(3)**_

"I can't wait to see how you last against this?" Zavok snarled.

"Seriously? You go from a cool-looking dragon to this oversized bug? I thought you were supposed to be a mighty conqueror?" Sonic joked.

"Impudent runt! I'm going to savor watching you suffer!"

With that, the monster summoned an army of Buzz Bombers that swarmed the hedgehogs.

Sonic dodged three of them and homing attacked them as they weren't looking. "Ha! Too slow!" he laughed.

Shadow did the same thing, only he shot Chaos Spears at the Death Queen. Zavok moved the robot out of the way and waved his fist at the hedgehog. Then, with the push of a button, a yellow streak shot out of the Death Queen's stinger.

It chased Sonic and Shadow around the arena, but because of their super speed, they outran it.

"Come on, Zavok," Sonic said, sticking his tongue out to annoy the Zeti. "Is that the best you can do?"

Zavok stopped the laser. "No but thank you for asking!"

With that, the Death Queen flew vertically upward, casting a shadow below the two hedgehogs. It crashed landed, stinger-first, and shot the heroes up into the air. It was at that moment when Sonic homing attacked Zavok three times, but the latter blocked himself with his bulky bicep

Shadow snuck on top of the Death Queen, homed in on Zavok, and kicked him in the chest, breaking his defense. Sonic did the same procedure again before he landed on the ground.

Shaking his fist, Zavok growled and smashed a blue button.

Just like that, the outer part of the hexagon platform disappeared. Sonic was close to falling off, but Shadow swooped in and pulled him back.

"Phew!" Sonic said, wiping his head. "Thanks, Shadow."

Shadow nodded before he watched the monster summon another set of Buzz Bombers.

As he fought alongside his ally, Mina freed all the prisoners and they were watching it go down. They cheered for their heroes.

"Go get em', Sonic!" Mina shouted.

"Show him what you're made of!" Max added.

"Rock on, blue dude!" Sharps cheered.

"Shadow, I love you!" cried a female rabbit with a Shadow the Hedgehog shirt on.

Sonic landed and saw the fangirl geek out at Shadow's performance. "Hey, Shadow. Looks like you have a fan."

"Worry about that later," Shadow said, as he evaded the laser from the Death Queen's stinger.

Zavok clenched his horns and snarled before he drove the oversized Buzz Bomber to the right. Its stinger rose a few feet upward and started spinning out of control. And like rampaging bull, it charged at both combatants.

"Look out!" Shadow warned, as he and Sonic moved to the right. The robot came back, and they moved to the left. Finally, it came from another direction and Shadow chucked a Chaos Spear at its stinger, singing a piece off of scrap off of it.

"Hold still!" Zavok howled. He looked down and saw that part of the stinger was destroyed by Shadow. The Death Queen rose above them arena and casted another shadow below the heroes. Slamming itself against the steel ground again, Sonic and Shadow were pulled into the air.

Instead of repeating what they did before, Shadow summoned a Chaos Spear and jabbed it into the Death Queen's side. He slid downward which left a huge scrape along the robot's back. Zavok turned around and shot a fireball from his mouth; he aimed it at the Ultimate Life Form, but he missed. Then, Shadow emerged out of nowhere and slid between Zavok's legs. Punching and kicking him rapidly, he dodged Zavok's punch and slid between his legs again. This time, he grabbed his tail.

Sonic landed in front of the Zeti and decided to unleash his full fury with an ultimate beatdown; left hook, right hook, left hook again, two right hooks, while also mixing in some roundhouse kicks. Finally, a solid homing attack to the face knocked Zavok on his knees. Shadow spun the Zeti around by this tail before he slammed him into the ground.

Then, the heroes landed beside him and decided to finish things off.

Revving up a spin dash, Sonic and Shadow boosted around the monster. To which, it formed a large blue and black whirlpool. Eventually, Zavok was sucked inside and spun out of control. Sonic and Shadow snuck in a few good hits as the Zeti was dazed.

The tornado stopped and Sonic and Shadow ended the fight with a duo-powered homing attack.

Zavok flew straight across the arena and landed smack against the wall, which sent chills down the spines of the Forget Me Knots.

Falling on his stomach, Zavok was defeated. _**(3s)**_

"That was awesome, guys!" Mina called out from above. "I'd definitely give that a solid 10/10!"

Sonic winked and Shadow just shrugged.

"Where should we go, Sonic?" Max asked. "Like, where do we go when we take the shuttles?"

Stroking his chin, Sonic thought his response. "Let's see, if I were Knuckles and I formed a resistance, where would I put my HQ?... Ah, I got it!... Guys, contact Knuckles and let him know you're going to Angel Island!"

"Are you sure?" Mach asked.

"Yeah! I mean, he'll probably beat me up and call me a moron for giving a bunch of strangers his location, but I'm sure he'll understand!"

Everyone nodded and began following the Forget Me Knots down the Prison Hall.

Sonic and Shadow were left alone.

"I must admit," Shadow said with a grin. "You've improved since we last met. I thought you were going to be rusty considering you've been asleep for six months."

"Not even a coma can change how awesome I am," Sonic smirked, gesturing to himself. "I was built for speed. Speed is my middle name and danger is game!"

Shadow held out his hand for a handshake. "I apologize for not contacting your friends sooner. Things have been hectic on my side. I don't expect total forgiveness as of this moment, but I hope to help out when I can."

Sonic took the G.U.N agent's hand and shook it. "Shadow, I'm not the one to hold grudges. You can come back with Knuckles and I if you want. It'd be nice to have a faker on the team."

"Hmph! You're the faker around here."

"I'll make you eat those words."

As the two hedgehogs shared a chuckle, the moaning from Zavok clouded the area. They turned to him and watched him get back up. He rubbed his head and stared down at the victors. "Do not think this is over, Hedgehogs!" he said. "I still have one last ounce of strength in my bo- "

 _ **BAM!**_

A hammer suddenly smacked the Zeti in the head, causing him to make a funny face with his tongue sticking out. He slowly fell on his face, revealing the one who knocked his lights out…

…It was Amy Rose.

"A-Amy?" Sonic asked with shock; his jaw dropped, as his smile stretched all the ways to his cheeks.

And just like that, the rest of the Secret Strikers entered the room. Rouge and Chaos looked down at Shadow and gave him a thumbs up. Shadow lightly smiled and nodded his head. Knuckles, Team Chaotix, Silver, Blaze, and Team Feral Strike jumped down to greet their missing ally who has now been found. Shadow patted Sonic on the shoulder.

"I'll let you take it from here," he said, as Sonic started walking to his friends.

"Sonic!" Amy screamed with agitation, as she holstered her hammer and ran forward with open arms. Before Sonic could say anything, Amy tackled the blue blur and wrapped her arms around his chest, holding him tight. "Thank goodness!... you're okay!"

Usually, Sonic would tell Amy to get off of him, but because he hasn't seen her in so long, he couldn't help but hug her back. He held her tight and placed her against the back of her head. "Hey, Ames… good to see you again. Nice knockout, by the way."

Amy chuckled. "Thanks… I didn't think you were dead for a second," she replied, as she held the hedgehog in her arms. "I'm glad we found you. We really missed you."

"I missed you too, Amy," Sonic smiled, as he patted Amy's back. The two released each other and gazed into their emerald green eyes, right before Vector came in and gave Sonic a good old fashioned noogie.

"You little stinker!" the crocodile laughed, rubbing his fist against Sonic's head. "You gave us a heart attack months ago! Don't you ever do that again!"

"Hahahahahahaha! Okay, Vector! Let me go! Hahahahahahahahaha!"

Vector did what the hedgehog said, as Espio hugged Sonic with one arm.

"Glad to see you're okay, Sonic," Espio said.

Sonic hugged him back with one arm. "Good to be back, Espio. I ain't going anywhere."

Silver and Blaze approached the hedgehog; the former shook his hand.

"What you did back in the city was selfless of you, you saved a bunch of people back there," Silver said. "I'm glad you okay and I want to thank you for helping me, even if… things didn't go as planned."

"No sweat, Silver," Sonic smiled. "We're gonna take back our world this time."

Blaze offered a hand. "It's nice to see you again."

Sonic ignored her handshake and went straight for a hug, which startled the cat and made the white hedgehog a bit jealous. He blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

As the hedgehog let go of the cat, he looked to the side and saw the resistance's commander himself. Grinning heavily, Sonic approached him with his arms wide open. "Commander of a resistance, huh? You gonna give me a hug, Captain?"

"First off, I'm the Commander and the Commander doesn't do hugs." Knuckles shook his head, smiling.

But it was too late, Sonic already wrapped his around the echidna and bro-hugged him. "Come here, you big lug. Give your best friend some sugar."

"Please… stop talking," Knuckles said, as he tapped the hedgehog's back.

Sonic looked over Knuckles' shoulder and saw Team Feral Strike themselves. Dakota, Gadget, Fuchsia, and Corvin walked to him and saluted.

"Greetings, Sir Sonic," Dakota said. "My name's Dakota. This is my brother Gadget, his girlfriend Fuchsia, and my best friend Corvin. Over there are the Rookies of our squad- "

"No way," the hedgehog said, as he released the commander and came near Skylar, Emma, Buster, and Clay. All four of them smiled awkwardly, as they were happy to see their hero. Sonic walked around them and remembered their names. "Skylar, right?"

The bear nodded in excitement.

"You're Emma?"

The yellow hedgehog gasped with shock; the world's famous hero remembered her name.

"Buster?"

The dog wagged his tail and barked with joy.

"And…"

The rabbit gulped, as he felt a shiver down his spine. He was worried that Sonic had forgotten about him and the promise he told him to make. But much to the rabbit's surprise, Sonic placed his hand on his shoulder and hugged him with one arm. Not knowing how to react, Clay hugged the hedgehog back, as they both let go.

"I see you kept your promise, Clay," Sonic smiled. "I trust Knuckles trained you well?"

"Yep! He… he…" Clay was about to tell a lie in order to make himself look cool, but for some reason, he decided against it. He took off his mask and told the hedgehog the honest truth. "Actually… I ran away after you died. I went to Spagonia to look for my friends… I couldn't leave them behind… I joined the Secret Strikers yesterday and… not gonna lie, I'm having some trouble fitting in."

This conversation surprised Gadget and Fuchsia, as they believed Clay would tell some ridiculous story.

But the biggest person who was shocked… was Skylar. She smiled because her friend was admitting his feelings and he wasn't making anything up; he was telling the truth.

"I'm sorry, Sonic," Clay apologized, wiping his eyes. "I didn't keep your promise."

Sonic shook his head and chuckled. He placed another hand on Clay's shoulder. "Dude, seriously? You went back for your family, that's the most important thing you could do. And hey, you still managed to find the Secret Strikers, right? That's all that matters… look, Clay. You have a good heart, but you still need some work. Tell ya what, since you kept your promise, I'm gonna fill my end of the bargain by teaching you how to be a Freedom Fighter."

"R-really!? I… thank you! I want to protect my family just as much as they want to protect me!"

Skylar, Buster, and Emma smiled at that.

Sonic gave the rabbit a thumbs up before he realized that someone was missing from this reunion; his little brother. "Hey, where's Tails?" he asked.

Shadow was the first to answer. "He's in the colosseum, fighting a Fake Sonic created by Infinite."

"What!?" Sonic gasped, so did everyone else. "What's he doing there?"

"Dr. Eggman discovered you guys were here, so he planted a trap by creating a Fake Sonic. Sadly, Tails was the one who fell for it. Mobius knows how long they've been fighting for."

"I gotta save Tails!" Sonic went to find his brother, but Amy grabbed his hand and stopped him for a second.

"Wait!" she said, as Sonic looked into her eyes. She handed him a Miles Electric. "Come back to us… Tails, Lil' Blue, and you."

"Lil' Blue?... eh, I'm sure I'll figure that out later. But I will come back... I promise," Sonic smiled. But as he went to run, a large chunk of Marble Zone from the Mania Zone shot out of the ground and from the walls. Then, another piece of Emerald Hill from the same dimension emerged from the sides. Sonic gasped, as the Secret Strikers evaded the debris. They heard the same vibrations from earlier and saw the same colored glitches. Landing on top of a stone cathedral from Marble Zone, the Secret Strikers watched as the prison became a mixture of a grassland and an underground complex. Lava started pouring from the walls and into the bottomless pit.

"What the heck was that!?" Sonic shouted in query.

"This multiverse thing is getting worse by the minute." Skylar said.

"Multiverse? What's going on?" Sonic asked again.

"We'll fill you in later," Knuckles replied. "Go find Tails and meet us by the shuttles."

Sonic nodded, as he jumped over the flowing lavafall and ran out of the prison. The Secret Strikers jumped on top of a platform and escaped as well. _**(4)**_

* * *

"Go get em', Sonic!" Dr. Eggman rooted from his seat. Tails was still fighting against his illusionary brother. The two had been fighting for what felt like an hour. The kitsune was gaining the upper hand because of his swift agility, but Pseudo-Sonic still landed a few good attacks.

Swinging his chain around, Tails smacked the hedgehog three times, shot into the air, jumped up, and violently lashed out. Pseudo-Sonic managed to counterattack by kicking the fox against the wall.

Recovering, Tails flew up and charged at the hedgehog, but more landmarks from the Mania Zone spiraled out of the ground. A large tower from Chemical Plant went up to the ceiling and surrounded it were hills and platforms from Green Hill, Star Light Zone, Scrap Brain, and Emerald Hill.

The fox and the fake hedgehog jumped on top of the platforms and started fighting.

Dr. Eggman spat out his drink and watched as the structures glitched into bright colors.

He then noticed that the Phantom Ruby in his hands was glowing; its black ripples spun uncontrollably.

"See!? This is what I was talking about!?" Infinite snarled at the doctor. "I told you this was gonna happen!"

Green Hill's trees emerged next to Eggman, Infinite, Orbot, Cubot, and Metal. The doctor dropped his food and ran out of the bleachers. There was no way he was staying here.

"Forget this place!" he shouted. "Let the fake hedgehog kill the fox! We're getting out of here!"

The villains left, as Pseudo-Sonic took cover behind a set of metal pipes. He peeped over and watched as Tails scanned the skies for him. His blaster held high and his tails fluttered across the arena. Pseudo-Sonic locked his purple eyes onto the fox and prepared to strike, when suddenly, something tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around and saw the real Sonic sitting in front of him.

" _Gah!_ " he startled.

"Wow, nice purple eyes, really brings out the evil in you." Sonic snarked, as he grabbed the quills of his doppelganger and slammed him against the wall. Finishing him off with a quick roundhouse kick, the fake Sonic evaporated out of existence. Wiping his hands, Sonic simpered. "But I prefer green." _**(4s)**_

" _Where's Sonic!?"_ Tails shouted in pure anger. Sonic's eyes extended, as he ducked below the pipe and watched his best friend scout the area. He smiled again when he saw Tails' face; he was alive and well, just like he hoped. He emerged from the shadows with his hands held high. Tails looked down and noticed the hedgehog.

He landed in front of him, huffing and puffing.

"Hey, Tails," Sonic said softly. "It's me… I missed you, little bro."

With that, the hedgehog went to touch the fox's shoulder, but the latter grabbed his arm and flipped him over. Landing on his back, Sonic grunted. Tails grabbed both the hedgehog's feet, swung him around like a wrecking ball, and chucked him into one of Emerald Hill's trees. _**(5)**_

Sonic crash-landed in the branches and found his foot stuck between them.

Upside down, he saw Tails flying straight toward him, shooting yellow projectiles at full force.

" _Yeep!_ " Sonic shouted, as he freed himself from the tree branch and ran down the side. He jumped over the fox and landed against the wall. "Tails, what are you doing? It's me, Sonic!"

"Oh, _now_ you're trying to be like him! How dare you call yourself Sonic!" Tails retorted, as he smacked him off the wall with his tails. Sonic skidded across Star Light Zone's shiny floor, as Tails landed in front of him and began attacking him. Dodging and evading a flight of punches and kicks, Sonic refused to lay a finger on his little brother.

"Tails, it's me! You gotta believe me!" Sonic exclaimed, as he blocked Tails' millionth punch. "I'm the real Sonic, that other doofus was a clone!"

"You think changing your eye color makes you the real deal, huh?" Tails snarled; tears were flowing from his eyes. "You have five seconds to tell me where he is!" Tails grabbed Sonic, flipped him over, and thrashed him around with his twin tails. Sonic fell down on the ground, as he jumped over Tails and landed on a pipe.

Running away, Tails began to chase Sonic down the arena.

"Get back here and fight me like a man!" Tails growled, as he wiped his face.

"I'm not going to fight you, Tails!" Sonic replied, running across the walls. "We're brothers!"

" _DON'T. SAY. THAT!_ " Tails shouted, as he flung his Arm Cannon chain around and slammed it against the wall. Sonic jumped off and went to grab onto a pipe, but Tails wrapped the chain around his foot and slammed his chest against the grassy ground.

Sonic slowly got back up and looked into the ocean blue eyes of Tails. All he saw was rage.

"Come on, buddy," Sonic said tenderly. "You know it's me."

Tails cracked his fingers and started running toward the hedgehog at full force.

Sonic got back up and did the same thing. He didn't want to hurt the fox and that was not what he was planning to do. He needed to dodge all of his attacks to the best of his ability.

The two brothers jumped into the air, preparing for a fight.

Although one did not want to harm the other.

And the other was determined to save his brother. _**(5s)**_

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 14**_

* * *

 _The battle of the brothers continues, only this is the real Sonic instead of the fake one. Sonic swore to not lay a finger on his little brother, as he is aware of his current situation. But Tails is out for answers, unaware they're right in front of him. Sonic and Tails continue to square off, as the Secret Strikers make their way to the escape pod. The multiverse collapse is getting worse by the minute, as parts of the Mania Zone are appearing inside the Death Egg. How will this affect the fight between Sonic and Tails? Find out as the fight takes an emotional turn in..._

 _"Chapter 15: Operation: Let's Save Sonic!: Part 3"_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _Sorry that the fight against Zavok wasn't any too special. I couldn't really do anything super original with the Death Queen fight aside from putting Shadow into the fight. Still, he and Sonic managed to defeat the Zeti. That's all that matters._

 _Notice how Clay decided to tell the truth instead of lying. I guess hugging Skylar and hearing her concern for him kind of changed him up a little bit. But as Sonic said, he needs some work._

 _Little moment for all those SilverxBlaze fans out there. ;)_

 _The fight between Sonic and Tails is not only brought back from the original version of this story, but it is also a callback to Archie Sonic Issues 178 and 179. Those two issues have to deal with Tails coping with the imprisonment of his father because he tried to lead a revolution against Sally's brother, King Elias. He meant it as a peaceful revolt, but he was arrested for causing a ruckus. Tails and his mother tried to break him out until Sonic came to stop him. Thinking Sonic wants to hurt his dad, Tails fights back and the two brothers get into a fight. In this story, the fight has a different premise obviously, but I just thought I'd explain where I got the inspiration from._

 _For those of you who are planning to put "Eww, why is Shadow being nice to Sonic?" and stuff like "Shadow is OOC for smiling" in the comments. Hear me out. I'm basing this version of Shadow off Archie Shadow, where the character is more than just "OMG! I'm so edgy!" To me, Shadow was never an edgelord. I consider him the more calm, mature version of Sonic. That was before SEGA decided to make him edgy and all that garbage. Archie Shadow knows when to make the hedgehog aggressive yet have a heart. So, before all of you start hating on me because you believe how I write Shadow is OOC, read Sonic Universe: Issue #2: Time and Again. That one is one of my personal favorite Sonic comics because of how Sonic and Shadow's relationship have grown. To me, they're not friends but they do share a mutual respect for each other._

 _As always, don't forget to favorite, follow, and review. Tell me what you liked and what needs to be improved. I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	15. Sonic & Tails

_**A/N:** Here it is, everyone. The final installment of the Operation: Let's Save Sonic! Story Arc. Now this one goes out to my good friend, TGN, who has been my friend since day one of the original Sonic Heroes: The Atom Bomb. One of his personal favorite moments in that story was when Sonic and Tails reunited in Chapter 7. So, after some serious thought and a day or two of typing, I have finally created something that I hope will be just as good as the original version. Yes, folks. Sonic and Tails reunite in this chapter. Bring some tissues because this one's gonna be quite an emotional rollercoaster. _

**_Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Theme of Sonic the Hedgehog E3 Ver. - STH 2006 OST_**

 ** _(2) Sonic vs Shadow: For True Story - Sonic Adventure 2 OST_**

 ** _(3) His Fate - Sonic and the Secret Rings OST_**

 ** _(4) Last One Standing - Simple Plan_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

 ** _NOTE* This chapter has been edited as of 5/19/2019_**

* * *

 **Operation: Let's Save Sonic!: Part 3: Sonic & Tails**

 _~Flashback, Many Years Ago._

Miles "Tails" Prower was not an average Mobian.

He was a humanoid fox with yellow/orange fur and white fur on his stomach and muzzle. He had gloves and shoes like everyone else; however, there was one thing that made him stand out to everyone else…

… his abnormal tails.

All Mobians have been born and lived with only one single tail: Miles Prower was not one of those people. No one, not even him, knows how he got two for the price of one. But if there one's thing everyone was aware of, it's that those twin tails gave him the ability to fly.

At first, that might sound remarkable to the average person, but that's hasn't been the case for poor Miles.

Rather than being praised for his uniqueness, Miles was bullied because of it. And sadly, that ridiculing kept going on to this day.

In Mobotropolis, the poor kid walked around with a new invention he made; a robot dog with orange and white paint. Everyone always focused on the fact the fox had two identical tails, but no one ever bothered to know that he liked tinkering. He would spend countless hours in his room playing with tools, building small machines, and expressing his creativity. He would always try to show them off to his caretaker, Rosie Woodchuck, but he always found himself called out and mocked for his appearance. He was strolling down Mobotropolis, hoping to take the robot dog for a spin, when suddenly… three kids walked up to him.

They were kids from the orphanage he currently lived in; a turtle, a gorilla, and a frog.

Miles turned his head to the three kids and greeted them with a smile.

" _Hey, guys,"_ he smiled and winked. _"Nice weather we're having, huh?"_

The kids said nothing.

" _Wanna see my new invention?"_ Miles asked, holding up the robot dog. _"I call him, T-Pup. He's cute, huh? I made him this morning. He's not finished, but I'm planning to work on him later. Wanna see?"_

Snapping his fingers, the turtle signaled his friends to grab the fox. The female gorilla pushed the fox down to the ground and held him in an armlock. The frog pounced on the fox's back and sat on him.

" _Hey! What are you doing!?"_ Miles shouted. _"Help! Somebody help!"_

" _Can it, you two-tailed freak!"_ the gorilla huffed. _"Let's see you fly your way out of this one!"_

The turtle reached into his shell and pulled out a baseball bat; he was going to destroy the machine. But as he raised his bat upward, he whistled to his comrades.

" _Show that kid a lesson,"_

The gorilla and the frog nodded, as they started to punch the fox in his chest.

" _Ow! Hey, settle down, guys!"_ Miles cried; a few tears came out of his eyes. He broke himself out of the fight and spun his tails around. He tried to fly out of the situation, but all the kids did was laugh at him.

" _Look! It's a little fairy!"_ the frog cackled. _"You gonna fly back to your princess castle, little fairy?_ "

The kids laughed in an obnoxious manner. Miles landed and hugged his tails, more tears dripped down his eyes. He went to rescue his invention, but the gorilla knocked him on his back. The frog pinned him down, as the turtle prepared to finish things off.

" _NO!"_ Miles continued crying. _"Please, stop!"_

The turtle flung the bat backward and prepared to smash the machine… but the bat wasn't moving nor was his arm. He wondered what was hindering him, as he turned around to see what it was. Behind him was a blue hedgehog with blue fur and peach skin. He wore red sneakers with white straps and golden buckles. His eyes were black and so was his nose. The hedgehog looked up from the ground and grinned at the turtle's face, noticing that he was sweating.

" _I've never seen you before, yet I somehow despise the sight of your face."_ the hedgehog quipped.

" _D-dude, let go of the bat."_ The turtle stuttered in fear, trying to sound tough.

" _Certainly,"_ the hedgehog smiled, as he yanked the bat and tripped the turtle off his feet. The latter curled into his shell and landed on the ground. Standing on top of the shell, the blue hedgehog swung the bat around and gently smacked it right into the gorilla and the frog, knocking them off Miles.

The fox covered his head, as the kids fell backward.

Getting back up, the three bullies watched as a strange blue blur was slowly approaching them with the bat in hand.

" _RUN!"_ the turtle shouted.

" _Let's get out of here!"_ the gorilla added.

The three bullies ran away like cowards.

Spinning the bat around, the hedgehog placed it on the ground and got down in a running position. He was about to run away, when he heard the somber sound of whimpering. He turned around and saw Miles crying into his hands and knees. The fox grabbed his invention and placed it to the side. He snarled at it and wiped his eyes. Just another day in the life of Miles Prower.

Feeling terrible for the kid, the hedgehog approached him and kneeled downward, giving the cub a gentle smile.

" _Hey there, Big Guy,"_ the hedgehog said. _"What's wrong, pal?"_

Miles wiped his eyes and folded his arms, turning away from the hedgehog's face. _"Heh… pal. Yeah, right. You'll just laugh and leave me like the rest of them."_

" _What makes you say that?"_ the hedgehog inquired, scratching his head.

" _I just like to build, and everyone makes fun of me."_

" _Yeah, I couldn't help but notice that little gizmo in your hand. What is that?"_

Miles grabbed T-Pup and showed him to the hedgehog. _"It's this dog I made called T-Pup. I was gonna test him out today, but I think he'll just malfunction like my other inventions."_

" _Well, you won't know until you try him out, right?"_

Miles sniffed and looked at the hedgehog's warm smile. Seeing that somehow motivated him to test out T-Pup. Placing the dog down, he took out a remote. With the push of a button, the robot dog's eyes turned on. It looked around and sniffed the ground, barking in the process. It ran to its owner and cuddled beside his feet. It then rushed over to Sonic and started licking his face.

The blue blur laughed and so did Miles. A light of hope had come on this day.

" _Easy, boy! Hahahahahahaha! Down, boy, down! Hahahahahahaha!_ " the hedgehog laughed, as the dog kept licking his face. Miles called it back to him and T-Pup sat back down. _"See? It works."_

" _Yeah… it does… but that's not the only reason why people hate me… you see, I have this problem where… here, let me show you."_

Miles lifted his tails up and began to fly around the hedgehog. Amazed, the blue Mobian gasped and cupped one hand over his mouth. His black eyes widened, and his jaw dropped to the ground; he couldn't stop smiling. Miles finally landed and brushed his legs off.

" _See the problem?"_ Miles asked.

The hedgehog shook his head. _"Nope. I don't see any problems here. All I see is one awesome fox with a cool ability! I never thought I'd see a fox with two tails, and he could use them to fly! Holy crud! That's incredible! You're like a superhero!"_

Miles looked up and smiled. Never before has anyone compared him to a superhero. The hedgehog patted the fox on the shoulder and gave him a wink. But Miles felt bad again once he started replaying all the constant insults everyone would throw at him. Monster, Idiot, Moron, Freak, etc.

" _I don't feel like a superhero,"_ Miles sighed. _"Everyone else just seems to hate me because of my appearance. Been like this as far as I can remember."_

The hedgehog stroked his chin. _"Everyone, huh?... well that ends today!" **(1)**_

Miles' eyes widened. _"Huh?"_

Placing his hand on the fox's shoulder, the hedgehog smiled. _"They don't know what they're missing, kid. You've got real talent here! They're all just jealous!"_

Miles' eyes teared up. Someone finally wanted to be his friend.

" _How about you hang with me for a while and show em' who's the coolest guy I know."_

" _R-really?"_

" _Of course! You can be my little brother."_

" _I… that sounds amazing! Yeah, I've always wanted a big brother!"_

" _And I've always wanted a little one. But before we go, what's your name, kid?"_

" _Oh! My name's Miles Prower, but everyone calls me Tails."_

" _Tails, huh?... my name's Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog."_

And just like that, a brotherhood was formed. _**(1s)**_

* * *

 _~Present Day. **(2)**_

Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower were fighting.

The latter has been fighting a clone of his brother for a long time and the former showed up to save him. But unfortunately, the fox still believes that the former is nothing but a clone, determined to get a location on the real deal.

But what he doesn't know is… Sonic is right there.

"C'mon, Tails!" Sonic said, as he jumped on the walls and ran away from Tails. Tails, who was flying across the stadium, chased after the hero with brute force. "It's me, Sonic! I'm right here, buddy! That other guy was a fake!"

"Like I said before, changing your eye color doesn't make you the real Sonic!" Tails retorted, as he kicked Sonic in his rear end. He swatted at him with his feet, as Sonic ducked underneath. "Quit running away and fight me!"

"I'm not going to hurt you, Tails!" Sonic said back. "How can I prove that I'm the real me?"

Tails pinned Sonic against the wall. "Tell me something only _Sonic_ would know!"

Thinking of his response, Sonic snapped his fingers and replied with this, "The first time you and I met. We were in Mobotropolis when those kids picked on you."

"While that holds a place in my heart, everyone knows about it!" Tails snarled. He punched Sonic's face and pinned him against Emerald Hill's grass. "Tell me something else!"

"That time we first raced the Babylon Rogues. You were doubting yourself because Wave kept picking on you."

"Like I said!" Tails said, as he grabbed Sonic and spun attacked him. "Everyone knows that too! You're starting to run out of chances! Tell me where the real Sonic is!"

Jumping over the kit, Sonic rolled across the ground and Tails chased him around the arena. Sonic ran up the walls and leaped over Tails again, as he grabbed a pipe, spun around it, and swung off of it like an acrobat. Tails whipped out his weapon and shot at the hedgehog; he missed three times. As Sonic ran around with his super speed, Tails analyzed where he was going to go next.

He aimed at a pipe and shot it into pieces, knocking Sonic off the platform.

Tackling Sonic, the two brothers fought and tumbled around Star Light Zone's loop de loop. Tails kicked Sonic off of him and he landed against the wall. Sonic jumped to the right and blocked Tails' rapid punches.

"Okay, what about the time we went to Eggman's amusement park and you had that bucket of sushi?" Sonic said.

Tails shook his head. "Not good enough!"

Sonic was smacked across the face. "The Time Eater limbo? We teamed up with our younger selves?"

Tails snarled and fired a punch. "What part of only he would know don't you understand!?"

Sonic dodged to the left and climbed onto a wall. "Then, how about the time I thought you were a robot? Zavok and the Deadly Six captured you and imprisoned you!"

Tails stopped fighting for one second, so he could take some time to register that in his brain. He and Sonic were the only ones on the Lost Hex that knew about that story, but he didn't feel it was good enough to prove this was the real Sonic.

"That's too simplistic!" Tails said. "Has to be deeper than that!"

He shot a laser at the pipe, which created a puff of smoke that blinded his eyes. He coughed and flew out of the smoke, as he looked down and saw that Sonic was gone. Gasping, he looked around the environment. He could be anywhere, waiting to ambush him. Well, knowing the real Sonic, he wouldn't do that to his own brother.

Tails circled the perimeter like a hawk.

"Hey!" He called. "Tell me where Sonic is!"

The hero of Mobius took cover behind a large grassy hill; he was completely unnoticeable. He peeked his head upward and watched as Tails searched for him. Before Tails looked in his direction, Sonic ducked down and took a few pants.

Just then, something vibrated behind him.

Reaching behind, he whipped out his Miles Electric. Answering it, he saw Amy's face on screen.

" _Sonic!"_ Amy said. She and the Secret Strikers were running down the hall. _"Are you okay?"_

"Things could be better on my end," Sonic replied. "You know that clone Shadow said Tails was fighting? Yeah, I took him out. But Tails thinks I'm the clone. He won't believe me when I tell him I'm real."

" _Just as I feared,"_ Amy said. _"The poor kid's been through a lot since you were presumed dead. Is Lil' Blue there?"_

"Nope. No one is here besides Tails and I."

" _You want me to come down there and tell him?"_

"While that would make things easier, no. He's my brother, I need to do this myself. We'll meet you in the shuttle base soon. In the meantime, be careful."

" _Likewise."_

Sonic nodded his head and hung up the call.

He peeked up again and saw that Tails was doing the same thing he did before.

 _Okay, Sonic,_ he said in his thoughts. _Gotta focus. Tails thinks you're a clone and he wants me to share something only I would know. I really thought that Lost Hex one would convince him, but I guess not. So, what's my next move? I've already shared the first time we met and the time I told him not to worry about Wave's insults. What else can I talk to him about?_

Sonic was in an internal dispute with himself.

He didn't know what he next move could be. No matter how many memories he brings up, Tails seems to want an answer that means a lot to both of them. Sonic really thought the first time they met would do the trick, but it seems that didn't do the job. Stroking his chin, tapping his feet, and twiddling his thumbs, Sonic thought of a million things he could tell Tails. But he was unsure if any of them would work.

 _I'm gonna have to go super personal with this, aren't I? But what other memories of Tails and I are person… wait a second… I think I got an idea._

And he did. Sonic snapped his fingers and looked back at Tails. He thought of something so personal, it _had_ to get Tails to believe he was real. Cracking his fingers, Sonic climbed on the hill and jumped across to the other platform, sneaking up behind Tails.

 _This memory's probably gonna hit him bad and the last thing I wanna do is hurt Tails mentally, but I pretty much have no other choice. Here goes nothing._

Another zone popped up beside Sonic, causing some debris to fall down. Sonic jumped out of the way.

Tails heard the noise and turned around, seeing Sonic in plain sight.

"Finally!" Tails shouted in anger. He lowered himself down and re-loaded his gun. He began charging towards the hero with full fury.

Sonic just walked causally. Whatever he had planned _had_ to work. "You wanted me to tell you something only I would know?"

Tails kept running.

"Sorry to bring this up, little dude, but I have no choice."

Tails' gun was fully loaded and ready to fire, but as soon as he got closer to Sonic. The blue hedgehog shouted.

" _CAPTAIN SUPER FOX-MAN!_ " _**(2s)**_

And with that, Tails skidded across the ground and came to a full stop.

Sonic opened his closed eyes and noticed his brother froze. Not only that, but Tails lowered his gun.

"What?" he asked.

"Captain Super Fox-Man," Sonic repeated. "When Eggman and Snively took over Mobotropolis, Sally sent you and I on a recon mission to save some kidnapped heroes. It was the first time you've been to the city after it was taken over, and you wanted to dress for the occasion. So, you dressed up as your comic book character, Captain Super-Fox Man the Mutant Cyborg Clone… wanna know how I remember that?... because it was the day I almost lost you."

* * *

 _~Flashback, Many Years Ago._

" _Ah, I love the smell of Robotropolis in the morning,"_ Sonic the Hedgehog said, as he sniffed the disgusting air and coughed. He and his best friend, Tails were looking at the horrible sight of Robotropolis, a roboticized version of the Kingdom of Acorn's capital, Mobotropolis.

A few years ago, Dr. Eggman and his cohort, Dr. Julian Snively enslaved the city and overthrew King Nigel Acorn, forcing her daughter, Sally to form her own resistance called the Freedom Fighters. The team consisted of her, Bunnie Rabbot, Antoine D'Coolette, Rotor Walrus, Sonic, and Tails.

Not too long ago, the brothers were sent on a mission to save citizens of Knothole who were trying to rescue their families from Eggman. So far, they haven't gotten into the actual base; they were just on the outside.

But from where they were standing, they could already tell the outside was just as bad as inside. Every inch of grass was gone and was replaced with nothing but sand. On top of said sand were piles and piles of junk. Ranging from knickknacks, tires, broken robots, machine parts, and other miscellaneous items. They were carelessly stacked on top of each other with no one to clean them up. Black drones called SWAT-Bots patrolled the area every minute of every day. Sonic ducked behind cover and watched the mindless drones walk by them. But two of them were starting to head in his direction. To distract them, Sonic picked up an empty can of beans and chucked it to the right. The SWAT-Bots heard the noise and went to investigate it.

Sonic crawled forward and grinned.

" _Ready to scoot and root, Tails?"_ Sonic asked, but he didn't hear a response from his best friend. _"Tails?... Tails?"_

Hearing his name, Tails came out of a run-down bus with a costume on. _"Sorry, Sonic. I had to get changed._ "

The two-tailed wore a dark-blue costume with a red belt that matched his gloves and boots. He had a utility belt around his waist and a metal band around his right arm. His tails stuck out of the back of his super suit, as he flexed them around and showed off his appearance.

" _What do you think?"_ Tails asked.

Sonic chuckled for a minute before he approached the fox. _"Nice costume, dude. What's it for?"_

" _I'm a superhero. Call me…"_ Tails stood in a classic superhero pose. _"Captain Super-Fox Man! Dun-da-da! Avenger of Evil! Righter of wrongs! Just as smart as everyone else!"_

Sonic tried to contain his laughter. _"That's pretty good, Tails, but is this all necessary?"_

" _Of course! I want to show the Freedom Fighters than I can be just as much of an adult as they are… I probably could have worded that better, but you get my point."_

Sonic nodded and looked over the side; SWAT-Bots were still patrolling.

" _Come on, Tails,"_ he said. _"We better get juicin'!"_

" _Didn't Aunt Sally say this was a… what was it called again? Recoop? Regone?"_

" _Recon, little dude. But Sal doesn't know who she's taking too. I'm the fastest thing alive, I could zip ourselves in the castle and rescue those missing heroes… the coast looks clear for now, ready for this?"_

" _Captain Super-Fox Man is always ready, Speedy Blue!"_

" _Speedy Blue? Is that my superhero name?"_

" _Yep! You're my sidekick!"_

Sonic laughed once more before he let Tails jump on his back. _"Hold tight, Captain, we're going for a ride!"_

" _Yeah!"_

Sonic jumped over the platform and ran down the putrid streets of Robotropolis, sneaking past SWAT-Bots effortlessly. But as he continued running, he was unaware that a silver drone was recording his movement; it was a motion sensor. The red blinker on top of it started beeping silently, sending a signal to Dr. Eggman.

Just as the brothers reached the castle, a loud alarm broke the silence.

" _Hmm?"_ Tails rubbed his head, as he saw four large spotlights on the rooftop. Their beaming lights shined on the him and Sonic; the latter covered his eyes.

" _Hey! What's the big idea!"_ Sonic snarled. _"It's not time for me to go on stage yet!"_

SWAT-Bots gathered around the brothers and raised their missile launchers at them. They all beeped at one another before they started shooting red projectiles. Sonic jumped over them with ease and homing attacked three SWAT-Bots. He grabbed one of them and used its cannon to shoot four more enemies.

But more robots gathered around the scene.

" _Hold tight, Tails!"_ Sonic said, as he took off running in the other direction. He made his way down the streets of the city, where Motobugs, Grabbers, and Crabmeats chased after him. Tails glanced over his shoulder and gasped because of the high number of enemies behind him. He wanted to fight back, but he was too scared to do so. _"More Badniks wanna play, huh? Not to worry, Tails, I'll get us out of here!"_

Sonic swerved around a telephone pole and ran in the other direction, boosting into the enemies, defeating them all.

" _Whoo hoo!"_ Tails cheered.

" _You can say that again, buddy!"_ Sonic nodded until he looked up to the sky and saw a large figure raining down. Stopping for a split second, he jumped backward and watched as a loud thud created a dust cloud. All the dust faded away, revealing a large-scaled version of a Super Badnik called Silver Sonic. _"Oh, boy."_

" _HEDGEHOG: PRIORITY ONE."_ It said, as it revved up a spin dash and zoomed down the streets; it almost scratched Sonic and Tails. _"INITIATING SONIC SPIN ATTACK!_ "

" _Hey!"_ Sonic shouted at the robot. He ducked behind a broken car and sat Tails down. _"Stay here, Tails. Let me show you how it's done."_ Sonic jumped over the side and walked towards Silver Sonic. _"Hey, tin can! Doesn't matter how fast you are, you're too slow!"_

Silver Sonic performed the same attack and missed again.

Sonic dodged to the left and ran across the road; Silver Sonic chased after him.

Running up the walls, Sonic leaped off and watched Silver Sonic crash into a building.

" _You gotta be quicker than that!"_ Sonic quipped. He landed on the ground and slid underneath Silver Sonic's metal claws. _"Come on, man! Are you even trying?"_

Before he could run to the other side, the Super Badnik kicked him upward and grabbed onto him with his feet. He spun him around and slammed him against the ground. Tails gasped when he saw that. Sonic got up, right before Silver Sonic grabbed onto him again and smacked him across the side. He landed in a pile of garbage.

Sniffing the air, Sonic cringed. _"Eww… that's gross. There's an old chili dog in here. Why must good food be wasted?"_

Silver Sonic stormed to the hedgehog and raised his hand; a light blue circle was on his palm. The circle began glowing and a beeping sound was heard. _"ACTIVATING: REPULSER BEAM."_

Tails gasped and jumped over the car, running for his brother.

Sonic was too weak to get back up. He pushed himself on his feet, but the glowing hand on Silver Sonic was almost charged. Then, a massive laser fired and aimed for Sonic. The hedgehog closed his eyes, figuring he could take the hit, but suddenly… he didn't feel anything hit him.

He opened his eyes and was greeted to a horrific sight. Gasping, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped.

" _No… No! NO!"_

Tails had taken the hit for him.

The fox's fur was steaming, and a burnt mark was on his back, which ripped half of his super suit off. He groaned and slowly walked up to Sonic; more smoke was coming out of him. Collapsing on his knees, Tails looked into Sonic's green eyes and let out a gentle smile. His hand was shaking before he gave his brother a thumbs up.

He then fell on his stomach, closing his eyes.

" _T-Tails?... Tails, buddy?... A-are you okay!?"_

Tails didn't respond.

" _Come on, man!"_ Sonic said. His body began to shake. Chills fell down his spine, his quills tingled, his ears flickered, and his hands jittered. He reached down and grabbed the fox, holding him close. _"Come on, Tails… please, don't do this to me!... NO! I already lost Uncle Chuck, I'm not losing you too! Please, Tails! Wake up!"_

The yellow fox said nothing.

Tears began to flow down from the young hedgehog's eyes.

His mouth whimpered. More salty droplets of water poured from his face, as his arms wrapped around his little brother. Silver Sonic was about to do something else, but Sonic shot open his eyes and gave the robot a death stare. Getting up on his feet, he carried Tails in his arms and said one last thing to the silver hedgehog.

" _The next time you see Eggman… tell him he better pray he could run faster than me."_

And just like that… Silver Sonic was vanquished.

* * *

 _~Flashback, Continued._

Back in Knothole Village, the blue hedgehog paced around the hospital. Step. Step. Step. He couldn't find other ways to keep himself occupied. Tails safety was the only thing on his mind, and there was no way he was leaving until he heard good news. He tapped his fingers together and his eyes were glued to the floor. The ticking of the clock above him made his impatience grow larger.

With him were his two friends, Bunnie Rabbot and Antoine D'Coolette. The yellow rabbit and the orange coyote glanced at each other before turning back to Sonic.

The hedgehog had been silent for two hours. How long does it take for Tails to heal up?

Getting up, Bunnie walked over to Sonic. _"Sugah-Hog, I think you need to sit down."_

" _I can't sit down, Bunnie!"_ Sonic replied in a worrisome tone. _"It's been two hours! What's taking them so long!?"_

" _Tails is gonna be fine. Have faith in it, Sugar,"_ Bunnie said again.

" _Oui. Tails will be… how would you say… Okay-A!"_ Antoine said.

" _Antoine, it's A-Okay,"_ Bunnie corrected him.

" _Zat is what I said, non?"_

Sally Acorn: former princess of Mobotropolis came out of the hospital room with Rotor Walrus by her side. Sonic gasped and ran to them. _"Sal, how is he?"_ he spoke in fast pace. _"Is he okay? Tell me he's all right?"_

" _Relax, Sonic,"_ Sally said, placing both hands on Sonic's shoulders. _"He woke up a few minutes ago… he wants to talk to you."_

Sonic nodded and wiped his eyes. He walked past Sally and gently knocked on the door. As soon as he heard, _"Come in."_ He walked inside. _**(3)**_

From there, he saw his best friend sitting in a hospital bed. His arm was wrapped in a cast and bandages were wrapped around the left side of his head. His lower body was underneath a blanket and his super suit hung on a hook next to him. Sonic started walking before he dashed over to the bed, wrapping Tails in a warm hug.

" _Urgh! Easy there, Sonic,"_ Tails smiled. _"Still healing up from earlier."_

Sonic sniffed, as he released the fox. Wiping his eyes, he said. _"You had me worried back there. When I saw you get shot, I thought I lost you! I've spent two hours, waiting for a good sign."_

" _I'm fine, Sonic… a bit shaken up, but Captain Super-Fox Man will rise again… someday."_

Sonic snickered before he frowned. He closed his eyes and sighed. _"Tails… what you did back there was stupid. You shouldn't have done that, but… it was also very brave. You saved my life when I put yours in danger. I should have known there were motion detectors there… if I had known that, I wouldn't have done this you… I'm truly sorry I hurt you, little bro."_

Shedding a tear, Sonic closed his eyes again and sniffed as well. Tails smiled and wiped the water off Sonic's eyes. The hedgehog opened his eyelids and saw the gentle gesture on Tails' face.

" _Sonic, I know what I did was reckless… but I had to do it... you were in danger, I wasn't going to let you get hurt… when you and I first met, you said we were brothers. Brothers are supposed to protect each other, right?"_

Sonic nodded.

" _As long as I'm still standing, I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Sonic."_

Sonic smiled and held Tails' hand tight.

" _And as long as I still stand…"_

* * *

 _~Present Day._

"…I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Tails."

The two-tailed fox didn't know how to respond to that. He remembered that story as if it happened yesterday. The day he nearly killed himself to save Sonic was truly a day he'd never forget. Not only was it nostalgic, but it was a day he and Sonic became close. He proved himself as a Freedom Fighter by saving his brother even though he was scared. He then remembered that from that day on, Sonic would have private lessons with him on being a Freedom Fighter. The two would go out in the morning, jog a few laps around Knothole, practice hand-to-hand combat, spin dashing, watching over the Lake of Rings, everything that Tails has used to become a better hero and a better friend to others.

He de-activated his weapon, as it transformed into a wrist band.

Rubbing his two hands together, he felt horrible for what he's done.

The Sonic he's been fighting was the real one.

Said hedgehog took a deep breath, as he wiped his sweaty forehead. "Sorry to go too personal with that one, but that one was the only story you and I remember well… if I hadn't rushed into Mobotropolis, I wouldn't have put you in that hospital bed… I know I apologized for that years ago, but sometimes, I still get flashbacks of that day… I know I've said it before, and I'll say it again… I'm sorry I hurt you, little bro."

Tails was silent.

Sonic sighed again and rubbed his eyes until he heard Tails finally speak.

"Only a true brother knows that story," he said softly. Tears started to drop down his blue eyes. Sniffing and feeling more warm drops down his face, Tails wiped his eyes and smiled. He began to sob. "And that's you… Sonic… I'm… I'm…"

Sonic smiled and opened his arms. "Come here, little bro."

Without hesitation, Tails ran forward and jumped into his brother's arms. He wrapped his arms tightly around Sonic's body, as he sobbed and cried into his shoulder. A few tears of joy dripped down from Sonic's face, as he hugged his little brother.

"I… I… I'm sorry… I thought you were that clone…" Tails cried. "I'm so- "

"Don't apologize," Sonic smiled. "It's all good."

"I really missed you… I knew I had to accept the fact you were gone, but I always thought about you."

The two hugged for a little bit longer until Tails cleaned his face and sniffed. He gave Sonic another smile.

"Gotta say, Tails," Sonic said. "You've gotten really good at butt-kicking. You had me cornered for a few moments."

"Ha-ha, thanks. Knuckles taught me a thing or two while you were gone. Plus, I had a really good teacher in the past." Tails replied, shooting Sonic a wink.

"Gee, wonder who that guy was," Sonic said. He and Tails shared a laugh. The two hugged one more time before they shook hands. "We cool?"

"Way past," Tails replied before he gasped. "The shuttle!? Did Knuckles and the others make it?"

"I believe so. We should hurry before they take off without us." _**(3s)**_

Just then, the many pieces of the zones around the two started to glitch out one more time; the ground began to shake, which caused the brothers to trip over. Just then, another set of trees shot out of the ground. Sonic and Tails grabbed onto branches and flew up a few feet. They came to a quick stop.

"This place can't take much more of this," Tails said. "Soon enough, the whole Death Egg will become a mish-mash of zones."

"Yeah, what is that about?" Sonic asked. "Knux said something about the multiverse falling apart?"

"I'll explain later. Right now, we- _Gah!_ "

Another earthquake made Tails fall off the branch. Sonic grabbed onto his hand, as more structures covered the entire top half of the stadium. It stopped again and the two heroes jumped down. They looked around and saw that their pathways were blocked.

"No!" Tails shouted. "That was our only way out! What are we gonna do now?"

Sonic stroked his chin and analyzed his environment. In a split second, he snapped his fingers and grinned at the fox. "Hey, remember that thing we used to do when we were kids. We'd grab each other's hands and boost as fast we could?"

Tails nodded before he realized what Sonic was suggesting. "And we had some cheesy rhyme to go with it."

"Yep!" The two heroes faced each other and held out each other's hands. The two began to spin around a complete circle. _**(4)**_

"When the day needs saving," Sonic began the rhyme.

"One team never fails," Tails continued.

The two jumped up and formed a double spin dash called the Rolling Combo. Together, they finished their chant. " _ **It's time to juice with Sonic and Tails!**_ "

The two blasted through the structures and shot through the exit, making their way down the pathway.

* * *

Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower ran down a corridor while the alarm was still whaling. More pieces from the multiverse were appearing out of nowhere, trying to thwart their escape. Luckily, the two were fast enough to slid underneath a grassy hill and continued running. Above them, the Death Egg's walls were closing down slowly, Tails pointed this out and grabbed onto Sonic's hands.

"Guess Egghead put this place on lockdown," Sonic said, as he boosted across the floor and saved him and Tails from becoming pancakes. "Ah, well, time to kiss this yawn fest goodbye!"

The two bounced off a random spring and found themselves outside the Death Egg.

Jumping off a few floating asteroid's, they landed on a set of rails and grinded downward. They discovered that the path split into three directions; Buzz Bombers blocked their way. Sonic and Tails jumped off the rails and homed in on the enemies.

Making their way to the top platform, they blasted through hordes of Egg Pawns, as they watched dimensional rifts cause more chaos.

Sonic and Tails landed on a platform and ran back inside the space station. They went through the same obstacles as before, as they jumped from platform to platform. Three-gun turrets came out of the walls and shot balls of cyan energy at the duo, but they dodged them with ease

The two brothers escaped the space station again and jumped on and off more asteroids. Grinding across more rails, they watched as three Areo-Chasers flew in front of them, slashing cyan lasers at them.

Sonic jumped up and grabbed Tails, as the latter thunder shot him into the robots.

They jumped off the rails and went into another station. As they overcame more hindrances in their way, Tails reached for his Miles Electric and contacted Knuckles. "Knuckles, can you hear me?"

" _Tails!"_ Knuckles said on the other side. _"Thank goodness! Amy told me what happened between you and Sonic. You guys are cool now?"_

"Yeah! We're good. Where are you guys?"

" _We're at the shuttles with Team Dark and Chaos. They helped us out."_

"Did Lil' Blue catch up with you?"

" _Yes, he did. He's worried about you. You and Sonic better get here now!"_

Tails and Sonic leaped out of the station and jumped on one rail; they were zooming out across the space station. From there, they watched several orange and yellow battleships patrol the area. They were being destroyed by laser fire occurring from below. Sonic and Tails glanced at each other before they jumped on one of the ships.

"We're on our way to you, Knuckles!" Tails said. "We'll be there in- "

"Oh, gosh!" Sonic yelled, as he grabbed Tails and jumped to the next battleship. The one they were on before blew up.

"Phew! Thanks, Sonic!"

"Anytime!" Sonic gave a thumbs up, as he and Tails jumped to the next ship; the other one exploded.

Soon enough, the cannons below all charged their blasts and fired at the same time. Sonic and Tails jumped up and watched as their transportation unit exploded. They fell forward for a bit before they found themselves falling down a deep abyss.

Sonic waved his arms around and screamed before Tails grabbed him and flew downward.

Eventually, the brothers flew into a new location and came to a sudden surprise.

They saw the Secret Strikers fighting against the Deadly Six, who were controlling Badniks and sending them after the resistance. Sonic and Tails landed against the catwalk and rushed down the pathway. Lil' Blue spin dashed into a Motobug before he glanced up and saw the two brothers running.

"There they are!" he shouted. The team was happy to see the duo again. Lil' Blue ran up to them with a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you two are okay."

"Hey," Sonic smiled at the young hero. "I should have guessed you were Lil' Blue. It's been generations since I've seen you. You okay?"

Lil' Blue gave a thumbs up. "I'm good, but we've never met before."

"He's from another universe," Tails added. "Like I said, I'll fill you in later."

"Hate to break up the reunion, but we better be going now!" Knuckles called out.

"WOULD ANYONE LIKE CUPCAKES?" Omega asked.

"Not now, Omega!" Everyone yelled, as they pushed the Badniks away and piled into the shuttle. The five Zeti were about to stop them, but Infinite and Zavok appeared in front of them. Zavok grabbed his family and held them tight; Infinite turned to the ship and watched it raise into the air. Debris and metal fell from the ceiling and landed on the ground; more dimensional havoc wreaked throughout the room.

"Until next time, Sonic the Hedgehog," Infinite snarled. He snapped his fingers and he and the Deadly Six teleported away.

The shuttle's boosters kicked on and the vehicle blasted out of the Death Egg, just as the front door crumbled into pieces. _**(4s)**_

Flying a few yards away from the Death Egg, the Secret Strikers turned and looked out the window.

The entire Death Egg had been covered in parts from the Mania Zone. It was barely recognizable anymore. Eggman's most prized possession was infested with multiversal activity. Everyone cheered in excitement because they have accomplished their mission. Operation: Let's Save Sonic has been complete.

Team Chaotix gathered in a group high five.

Team Feral Strike shared winks and fist bumps.

Lil' Blue performed a joyful back flip.

Silver and Blaze nodded at each other.

Team Dark and Chaos nodded.

Knuckles and Amy gave a thumbs up.

Sonic and Tails backed away from the window and fist bumped.

They were happy everyone, including themselves, made it out in one piece.

Omega approached the two and offered them snacks. "CUPCAKES? THEY'RE BAKED WITH LOVE."

Tails went to have one of them, but Sonic gently pushed his hand away. "No, no… don't."

Knuckles sat down in a chair and took a breath of relief. He wiped his head and blinked a few times. "Sonic, finding you alive is the best news we've had in months."

Sonic turned to the echidna and stood next to him.

"Although…" Knuckles continued. "We still have a long way to go. Eggman still has control over 99% of the world. We've been liberating the smaller areas, but we need to go bigger. Having you back should increase our chances of winning… Look, Sonic, I know you just got back, but we're spread thin… would you mind helping us out?"

Sonic wrapped his arms around Tails and Amy. Clay walked behind the hedgehog and winked. Everyone gathered around him, surrounding him with smiles and grins.

"I've got six months I'm just _dying_ to spend. This seems like a good start."

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 15**_

* * *

 _Hooray! Sonic and Tails have rekindled and the former has been rescued. What will happen now that Sonic has returned to Mobius with the Secret Strikers? Dr. Eggman escaped from the Death Egg, and is still lurking in the shadows, ready to hatch another scheme. As Knuckles said, Eggman has control over 99% of Mobius, but not to worry, Sonic and the Secret Strikers are on the job. With Team Dark and Chaos on their side, they're unstoppable. We will see the SS get back to work, as they plan a way to destroy the Phantom Ruby in..._

 _"Chapter 16: Homecoming."_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _I do apologize if this chapter wasn't as emotional as the original, for those who are fans of the original version. I'm not so good with writing character emotion as I was in the past. That is something I will work on in the future. But if you found this fine, then I'm glad you liked it!_

 _I know I said the Knothole Freedom Fighters wouldn't appear in this story. But I needed to incorporate them into this particular flashback. Like I said, I have big plans for them in Sonic Heroes 2._

 _Lil' Blue was supposed to show here and help Sonic convince Tails he's not a fake, but I decided against because it would take away the emotional tension between the brothers in those scenes._

 _Captain Super-Fox Man is a comic book character Tails created in the Archie Sonic Comics._

 _Originally, I was going to do a flashback on Sonic's feelings towards Tails as a robot on the Lost Hex, but I figured that would be too simplistic and it's probably overdone to death by now._

 _As always. Thanks for sticking around to read this. It amazes me we've made it up to **15 chapters** and **over 70 reviews!** Thank you all so much for your love and support. Let me know what you liked and what needs to be improved. Until then, I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	16. Homecoming

_**A/N:** So, after the emotional roller coaster and the intense action that occurred in the Operation: Let's Save Sonic story arc, we're gonna be taking a break from the action and get back to focusing on the characters/story. I want to thank the usual, TGN, Infinite's Ruby, SharpDragonKlaw, TurquoiseTriangle, and Alexandria Prime for dropping a review as always. And I wish to welcome FantasyLover88 and Animeloverdog to the party. This story is up to over **80 reviews** and counting! So, thank you for sticking with me past 15 chapters._

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Walk Like A Man - Jersey Boys aka Frankie Vali and the Four Seasons_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

 ** _*Note:_** _**This chapter has been edited as of 5/12/2019**_

* * *

 **Homecoming**

The blue hedgehog jumped to the showers after landing in Launch Base Zone. He washed himself with soap and shampoo to get all of the dirt from cleaning the bathrooms on the Death Egg off his fur. He wasn't brutally injured, thank goodness, but being Eggman's cleaning maid has certainly made him dirty. Luckily, he scrubbed himself without any problems, as he grabbed his towel and dried himself off. He placed his sneakers back and on and began humming peacefully.

He returned to the main room, where he saw Knuckles and Amy helping Uncle Chuck set up a surprise lunch for the Secret Strikers. Because of the success on their mission, they decided to have a nice party as a way of saying, _"Welcome back, Sonic. We missed you."_

The cobalt hedgehog saw his uncle and approached him; the other hedgehog couldn't contain his happiness, as he hugged his nephew.

"Sonny," Chuck smiled; he closed his eyes and rubbed Sonic's back. "Thank Mobius you're all right."

"Heh, hey, Unc," Sonic smiled, returning the gesture. "Man, I sure missed you."

"I missed you too," Chuck said. He let go of his nephew and patted his shoulder. "Still good lookin' and always cookin', eh, Sonny Boy?"

"You got it, Unc. Shakin' and bakin'."

Inside the room, Team Feral Strike, the Forget Me Knots, and some of the prisoners on board the Death Egg were helping everyone set up the party. Tails and Charmy were in the back, installing a jukebox. Vector and Espio were sorting through some records, trying to pick some classic tunes.

They agreed on something and placed a record into the machine. The chameleon pressed the play button. _**(1)**_

Sonic and Uncle Chuck began bopping their heads to the harmonic tune.

Lil' Blue, Knuckles, and Amy did the same.

Silver also mimicked his friends' movements before he started snapping his fingers.

He started swaying his body to the music until he slid over to Blaze, offering her a hand. The cat widened her eyes, as she softly took the hedgehog's hand. The two began dancing across the floor. Shadow and Rouge, who were hanging up a banner that read, _"Great work, Secret Strikers!"_ looked over and saw the two dancing. Rouge giggled and bopped her head to the music; Shadow smirked and shook his head.

Clay joined in on the dancing by showing off the Funky Chicken Dance and The Disco Finger.

This got Skylar and Emma to laugh while Buster tried to copy the moves.

Tails and Charmy bopped their heads and tapped the juke box.

Relic and Fixit entered the room with more plates of food on the table. Omega entered with a set of peanut butter cookies (Which Relic helped him bake, so they weren't iced with lard). They set them on the table, when they noticed Sonic looking at them. He walked towards them and spoke to Relic.

"I don't believe we've met before," said Sonic, as he held out his hand. "I'm Sonic."

"I know that," Relic shook his hand. "The name's Relic and this is my friend, Fixit."

"A pleasure to meet you, Sir Sonic," Fixit greeted.

Knuckles entered the conversation. "I see you guys got introduced. Relic's been a longtime resident on Angel Island and he's uh… a close ally of mine."

"Longtime resident, huh?" Sonic asked. "I thought you lived here alone."

"Well… I did. Wanna tell him, Relic?"

"Sure," Relic replied to the echidna. "When Chaos broke out of the Master Emerald and Angel Island fell into the ocean, I traveled here on my boat to do some research. It didn't take me long to come across Knuckles, who wasn't too happy to see me. But after a long talk, he decided to let me stay."

"And thank goodness you did," Knuckles nodded. "You've been a valuable asset to the Secret Strikers."

"Too afraid to say the word _'friend,'_ eh, Knuckles? Lovely back-handed complement."

"What? No, I didn't mean it like- "

"Oh, hush. I knew what you meant. Just messing with you; that's all."

Sonic chuckled. "So, Knux. She's your girlfriend is what you're saying?"

"Yes," said Knuckles. His eyes shot open. "Wait, no, no! That's not what it's like!"

Sonic laughed, as Knuckles slapped him in the back of the head. "Why not?" Sonic asked. "You two talk like you've been married for three years."

"I'm _this_ close to sending you back to the Death Egg."

Amy and Clay walked up to their friends.

"Lunch is served," Amy smiled.

"Cooked by yours truly," Clay bowed. "And by cooked, I mean I added pepperoni on the pizza."

Sonic chuckled at that joke, as the Secret Strikers and the Forget Me Knots joined prisoners at the dinner table. Everyone dug into their food. _**(1s)**_

* * *

A few hours later, The Secret Strikers were cleaning up the base. Mina and her band lead the prisoners to Azure Lake Zone, where they set up tents and went to sleep for the night. Uncle Chuck and Muttski joined them. The resistance stayed behind to freshen up their HQ. Tails and Lil' Blue scrubbed the table while Team Feral Strike mopped the floors.

Knuckles and Sonic were talking by the computer until Vector let out a loud burp.

Charmy laughed while Espio rolled his eyes.

"Boy, that was delicious!" Vector said.

"Yeah, I'm stuffed!" Charmy added.

Sonic turned back to Knuckles. "So, I gotta ask a few things, Knux… where'd you come up with the name, Secret Strikers? Sounds pretty cool."

Knuckles rubbed his head. "Well, at first, no one really knew about us, so we were kind of a secret. And we're striking back against Eggman's empire, so I figured I'd put those two together."

"Nah! That's not true!" Charmy cackled. "Knuckles picked that name because it sounded cool!"

"Quiet, Charmy!" Knuckles growled. To which, Sonic snickered.

Team Feral Strike finished mopping the floors; Tails was helping Amy with the dishes. Silver and Blaze were talking privately. Team Dark walked past Knuckles and Sonic; Shadow had a Chaos Emerald in his hand.

"We have to go," he said.

"Where are you guys going?" Sonic inquired.

"We're going to look for G.U.N.," Rouge replied. "They've relocated since the invasion, so we're going to report back to them. Also, we need them to fix Omega."

"ROSES ARE RED, VIOLETS ARE BLUE, I ICED THE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE, AND NO ONE HAD A CLUE." Said Omega. Silver, who was eating some leftover cake, spat it out after hearing that.

Sonic held out his hand to Shadow. "Thanks for getting me outta the Death Egg, Shadow. Good luck finding G.U.N. Tell them I said hi."

Shadow shook the hedgehog's hand. "We'll get them to help you as soon as we can. Until then, good luck, Secret Strikers. Chaos Control!"

Team Dark disappeared, which scared to heck out of the Chaotix.

Soon enough, all the Secret Strikers were in the same room together; Lil' Blue helped Tails and Amy put some plates away.

"So, have you guys figured out a way to destroy the Phantom Ruby?" the hedgehog inquired. The Secret Strikers glanced at each other and shook heads.

"Unfortunately, no," the echidna replied. "But we discovered something new about it."

"What is it?"

Vector replied. "A couple of cops that looked like Espio and I showed up through a Warp Ring. They said they were Zone Cops from another dimension. They told us you were alive and that their main officer was looking for you."

"I assume you guys met Zonic as well?" said Sonic.

"So, that must mean he told you about the collapse in the multiverse," Espio said.

"Nope. He told me that Eggman took over the world and that the Phantom Ruby's from another universe, but he never said anything about the multiverse. Was that what those earthquakes on the Death Egg were?"

"Yes," Tails replied. "Those were places from Lil' Blue's world: the Mania Zone. The Zone Cops also told us that the Phantom Ruby was brought to our world through a negative reaction between it and the Chaos Emeralds."

Lil' Blue listened to the conversation.

The fox continued. "You see, Lil' Blue was fighting against his Eggman in his Super Form. The latter wanted to use the ruby to take over Lil' Blue's world. So, after the fight… Super Lil' Blue charged at the Phantom Ruby, unaware it cancelled out the power of the Chaos Emeralds. But that's not all, it created a dimensional portal and sucked itself and Lil' Blue into the rift. As it traveled through the void, it pulsed its energy throughout, which caused the collapse Zonic was talking about."

Sonic registered all of that into his brain. "So… we can say that of this is his fault?" He pointed at Lil' Blue, who glared at Tails.

"Well…" Tails said, looking to the side. "Not exactly, since he didn't know about- "

" _OH, HECK TO THE NO!_ " Lil' Blue snarled. He slammed a plate against the table and angrily pointed at his older self and the fox. The Secret Strikers heard his outburst and looked at him. "You're not blaming all of this on me! Didn't we already establish it wasn't my fault!?"

"Lil' Blue, relax," Amy replied. "No one is blaming you."

"Oh, shut up!" Lil' Blue snarled. "Besides, it's not like you guys aren't guilty of this! Need I remind you that an entire city was destroyed because of you guys!?"

Team Chaotix snarled, so did Blaze.

Lil' Blue then pointed at Tails. " _And then, you were the one who got your best friend KILLED!_ "

Everyone gasped; a moratorium occurred in the entire base.

Relic cupped her hands together over her mouth, shocked by Lil' Blue's words.

Team Chaotix growled.

Silver and Blaze lowered their heads in shame.

Gadget, Dakota, Corvin, and Fuchsia silently commented on how much of a jerk the young hedgehog is. Clay, Buster, Skylar, and Emma were astonished. They exchanged worried looks.

Amy fell silent.

Knuckles pounded his fists together.

Sonic gave the little hedgehog a death stare.

And Tails… he was angry.

It didn't take long for the tiny hedgehog to realize what he just said. He gasped when his insult replayed in his mind. Clenching his fists, the hero's jaw dropped, as his black eyes locked on Tails. The yellow kit got up from his seat and placed his hands on the table.

"Tails," Lil' Blue spoke softly. "I- "

"You know, when you were apologizing on the Death Egg, I was about to forgive you, but you have clearly shown me you don't learn from your actions… with that, I _don't_ accept your apology." Tails said. He stormed out of the base and slammed the door behind him. Sonic looked at Lil' Blue one last time before he walked after his brother.

"Tails," he said, closing the door. "Hold up."

Lil' Blue rubbed his head until Knuckles stormed near him, getting close to his face.

"We're pretty well-aware this mess is all our faults!" Knuckles shouted, as Lil' Blue backed up in fear.

"Knuckles," Amy said, trying to ease the drama.

"That's why we're trying to make up for it by forming this resistance! So, we don't need you coming in here and rubbing our mistakes in our faces!"

" _Knuckles!_ " Amy shouted; the echidna calmed down. Lil' Blue backed up one more time before he went out the door. The pink hedgehog began to walk after him. "Lil' Blue, hold on." She walked out the door.

Knuckles rubbed his head and then his eyes. Everyone around him looked at each other.

"You okay, Knux?" Vector asked, patting the echidna's shoulder.

"I'm fine, Vector," Knuckles said. "So much for a happy party."

"I don't like him," said Charmy. "He's mean to us."

"He should learn to think before he acts," Blaze said.

Silver paced around the room. "Cut him some slack, everyone. I know what he said was mean, but he's under a lot of stress. I can imagine it's hard for him leaving his home and coming to ours."

"Still, it doesn't give him an excuse to insult people," Vector said. "Tails already doesn't like him, now it's just gotten worse."

"I know that," Silver replied. "But I have a feeling Lil' Blue will come around. He just… needs some time."

Clay stroked his chin and let out a low sigh. Lil' Blue's ego was a little similar to his and he hated that. He turned to his friends and rubbed his hands together. _Hmm… I guess I can be self-absorbent at times… I want to be better than that._

* * *

"Tails!... Dude, are you out here?... Tails?"

Sonic walked around Mushroom Hill Zone in the dark of night, searching for his little brother. He looked up and saw nothing but stars illuminating a black sky. He smiled at the beautiful sight and continued roaming the mushroom fields.

"Tails? Come on, buddy. You can talk to me." Sonic said again. But there was no response.

Suddenly, a small mushroom fell on his head.

"Ow!" he said, as he looked up and found Tails sitting on the top of a large red mushroom tree. The fox was curled into his knees and he dug his face into his arms.

Sonic jumped on top of a blue mushroom, which bounced up into the air.

He landed next to his friend, who became startled when he saw him. Tails took a breath of relief before he continued sulking.

"Hey, Tails," Sonic smiled. "What's the matter?"

Tails sighed.

"Come on, little bro. You can talk to me."

Tails wiped his eyes and answered. "I really don't like him."

"Who don't you like?"

"You know. Lil' Blue… I know it sounds childish, but I don't like him at all… I wish this whole multiverse thing didn't happen, so we wouldn't have to deal with his hubris nature."

"I understand how you feel. But keep in mind, I was in his shoes once."

"Yeah, but you didn't go around insulting people."

"I'd be lying if I said you're right. Remember how I treated Antoine back in the day?"

Tails turned to his brother. "Well… that was…" The fox sighed; he couldn't think of a response.

"Listen, Tails, I know what he said was horrible, but I don't think he meant to insult anybody," Sonic said, as he cracked his fingers. "He's probably been through a lot today. Fighting his world's Eggman, being sucked through a portal, landing in another dimension, going to the Death Egg... that's a lot of stuff to do in one day."

Tails didn't respond, but he did nod.

"For now, you may not feel like forgiving him… but I have a feeling he may come around. It may not be immediate, but it will happen."

Tails smiled at that comment and gave his brother a thumbs up. Sonic patted him on the shoulder, as the two of them stood up on their feet. They jumped off the mushroom and walked back to Launch Base Zone, hoping for a good night's sleep.

"You good, buddy?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah," Tails replied with a smile. "Thanks, Sonic."

"You're welcome. Let's go catch a few Z's. I'm sleepy… and hungry. I may go get a midnight chili dog."

* * *

Metropolis was a large industrial area that was the home base of the Eggman Empire.

It had gone through many changes since Dr. Eggman built it in the past.

At first, it was an industrial plant, now it had been rebuilt from the ground up as a futuristic and pristine but sterile capital with skyscrapers, see-through walkways, and orb-shaped sentries.

One of the skyscrapers was the Capital Building, the official HQ of the Illusionary Legion.

Said legion was sitting through a slideshow made by Infinite; he was showing them more pictures of multiversal activity throughout Mobius and on the Death Egg. As Infinite scrolled through the photos, Dr. Eggman clenched the Phantom Ruby in his hand. The Death Egg had become a giant composite of zones from alternate worlds. Zones were sticking out of the roof and the walls; the Eggman face on the frontal part was missing an eye and the mustache was broken.

The Deadly Six were amazed by this transformation. Not even they understood the science behind this.

Metal Sonic blankly stared at the pictures.

Infinite glared at the doctor.

Orbot and Cubot shared a glance.

"Wow," Cubot said. "Looks like a giant theme park."

"Please don't remind me of those," said Orbot. He folded his arms. "I really hated catching those Wisps."

"This is what I'm talking about, Doctor!" Infinite snarled. "Do you see this? This is bad! The Phantom Ruby is causing other worlds to merge with others, throwing everything out of balance. As someone who studied dimensional travel in school, I know this will cause our world to fall apart! We have to do something about this!"

Dr. Eggman shrugged his shoulders, as he slowly stepped around the lair.

Holding up the ruby, he studied its black ripples and looked at it from different angles. Stroking his mustache and rubbing his chin, he nodded before he gave his reply.

"Such power exceeds even my expectations," he commented. "Hah! My own genius scares me sometimes."

"But that means you miss calculated," Zavok said with a sneer. "That's a failure in my book."

"Hah hah hah! But to surpass expectations is the ultimate of genius," Dr. Eggman replied with a cackle. "I wouldn't expect you to understand, Zavok."

"You mean, you're not going to do anything about this?" Infinite asked.

"Why bother?" Dr. Eggman shrugged. "If the world falls apart, I can just rebuild it with _this_ little creation. If it's causing this kind of anomaly, it must mean it can do a lot more than I thought."

"You're an idiot!" Infinite scowled.

"And you're being a hypocrite! You wanted to change this world, right?"

"No. I said I wanted to kill Sonic and guess what? _He's alive!_ And you let Team Dark and Chaos escape! Who knows what kind of dirt they can have on our plans!"

"I'll deal with Team Dark and Chaos soon enough. Right now, I need to head into my laboratory. More experiments with the Phantom Ruby need to be done. Orbot, Cubot, come with me."

The two lackeys followed their boss out of the room.

Infinite snarled again and slammed one of his fists against the wall, leaving a dent in it. "Dullard! Absolute dullard!"

"Someone finally said it," Zor said.

"He's not listening! He won't listen," the jackal ranted. "We're supposed to be his teammates, but he treats us as if we're a bunch of useless scullions!"

"That's because we are useless scullions to him," Metal Sonic pointed out.

"Mmm-mmm, I could go for some scallion cream cheese," Zomom rubbed his chest.

"Not scallion, scullion!" Infinite corrected the chubby Zeti.

"Oh… I still want some cream cheese."

Infinite facepalmed before he paced around the room.

Zavok pulled up a chair and sat down. "You know, Infinite. We've known one another for six months and you've always talked about having a grudge against Sonic the Hedgehog. I too, have a vendetta against him because he humiliated me and my family. But you… we do not know your story. Tell us, ally, why do you abhor the hedgehog so much?"

Infinite froze. "…sorry, too sad to tell." He walked out of the room to cool himself off.

Metal turned to the Deadly Six.

"Do you believe your master has become overconfident?" The red Zeti asked the robot.

"To be honest," said the latter. "Yes."

* * *

Chaos stood on Shrine Isle with his eyes locked on the Master Emerald.

When he got back, he immediately rejected Amy's offer of coming to the party. He wanted to come back to the Altar of the Emeralds: the shrine the giant gemstone was kept on. He spent all night and a couple of hours of the morning here.

Slowly lifting his hand up, he rested his palm on the emerald and slowly placed his head against it.

It was clear he was sad about something, but was it?

Knuckles walked up the steps of the shrine and saw the presence of the water god. He stopped walking and stood a few feet behind him.

He sighed and spoke, "Chaos… you okay up here?"

Chaos turned around and looked at the guardian.

"You've been standing up here for a long time, Chaos," Knuckles said, as he approached the aquatic creature. "What's wrong?"

Chaos hesitated to tell him at first before he finally came clean. But since he couldn't speak, he used sign language to get his feelings out. Moving his hands and fingers in all directions, he explained to Knuckles why he joined the Illusionary Legion. As he expressed his words into body movement, Knuckles' jaw dropped, and he folded his arms. Chaos stopped moving, as Knuckles unfolded his arms and rubbed his eyes.

"Tikal's been captured?" he asked the water god; the latter nodded.

Knuckles lowered his arms and slapped his fists together. "Don't worry, Chaos… you're safe with us now, and I promise… we'll find a way to get Tikal back."

Chaos used sign language to ask a question.

"Yes, Chaos… you can get first dibs on Eggman."

Chaos made a motion that said, _"Heck yeah, baby!"_

Just then, Knuckles got a call on his Miles Electric. He reached for it and saw Charmy's face on the screen. "What's up, Charmy?"

" _Knuckles, you should come down to HQ,"_ Charmy said. _"Everyone's jotting down some ideas for wrecking that Phantom Ruby apart! Come join us!"_

"I'll be down here in a few minutes," Knuckles said. He hung up the call and put his device away. "You wanna come with me, Chaos?"

Chaos shook his head.

"Feel like staying here, huh?... I understand. Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

Chaos gave a thumbs up.

Knuckles ran off the altar and started gliding back to HQ.

* * *

Espio and Vector sat at the table with a piece of paper in front of them. The rest of the resistance sat next to them. They were all chiming in by coming up with ideas on how to destroy the Phantom Ruby liberate Mobius of Eggman's Empire. So far, they didn't have much written down, but they were making progress… mostly.

"Okay, everyone," Vector said. "Shoot out ideas about destroying that Phantom Ruby thingamajig. Ready, set, go!"

Clay was the first to raise his hand. "I can use my godly powers to shoot lightning at it!"

Espio shook his head. "It'd be a miracle if you had those, but you don't."

"Anybody else?" Vector asked.

"We can gather the Sonic Heroes together and use our combined Team Blasts!" Amy suggested.

"Oh, that's good. Write that down, Espio." Said a smiling crocodile. Espio did as he was told. "What's next?"

Charmy squealed, as he waved his hand in the air. "We can get Big the Cat to sit on it."

"Nice! Write that down, Espio," said Vector. Espio wrote down the idea, even though he thought it was stupid.

Knuckles walked into the office and heard the constant shouting of ideas echo through the room.

"What is going on here?" he walked over to Skylar and asked.

"We're writing down ideas," the blue bear replied. "So far, only 5% are them good and 95% are stupid."

"The way you come up with those random number amazes me."

"I agree with you 100%."

Knuckles got the attention of his team through a loud whistle. Everyone stopped chatting and looked at their commander. Cracking his fingers underneath his gloves, the team's leader gave a small talk.

"Listen up, Secret Strikers," said Knuckles. "You gotta remember that the Phantom Ruby is a powerful gemstone. I don't think punching it reportingly is going to do much. We have to destroy it with something that can outmatch its powers."

Sonic said, "How about we just use the Chaos Emeralds. Shadow, Silver, and I could go super and smash it to pieces!"

"Super?" Silver whispered to Blaze, who shrugged her shoulders.

"Can't do that, Older Me," Lil' Blue said. He was sitting on a crate when he jumped off. He walked towards the team. "The Phantom Ruby cancelled out the emeralds' powers. If it didn't work for me, I don't why it should work for… wait a minute."

The short blue hedgehog snapped his fingers when he paused in the middle of his sentence. His black eyes almost popped out of his sockets and his jaw dropped to the ground. Pressing his hands together, he twiddled his thumbs and paced around the room.

Everyone watched, as he murmured to himself; they wondered what he was talking about.

It didn't taking long for the chubby hero to explain his idea.

"I may have an idea," he said. "But first, I gotta ask… does anyone know what the Super Emeralds are?"

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles gasped and nodded their heads.

"Heck yeah!" the green-eyed Mobian nodded. "I remember using those suckers during the first time I helped Knux get the Master Emerald back from Egghead. I used them against this Death Egg Robot, and I wrecked it with ease! Although, that extra boost of power kind of hurt a bit. It was like ten Super Sonics rolled into one."

"Didn't Knuckles and I use them too?" Tails asked. Sonic nodded. "That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea. Last time I checked; their powers were uncalculatable. They _could_ help us defeat Infinite."

Knuckles folded his arms. "But there's just one problem; they're useless now. All they do is just sit in the Hidden Palace Zone next to this fake Master Emerald I built. Speaking of which, in order to activate the Super Emeralds, we need the combined powers of all seven Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald."

"Well, we already have one of the former and its with Shadow," Blaze said. "The rest of them could be anywhere. For all we know, they could be with Eggman."

Tails cracked his fingers and walked near the computer screen. "Leave that to me, Blaze."

The fox ran his fingers across the keyboard. Sonic, Knuckles, and Amy walked by him. Team Chaotix, Silver, Blaze, Relic, Fixit, and Team Feral Strike did the same thing.

Knowing Tails, it took him less than a second to locate the six Chaos Emeralds.

A map of Mobius popped up on the screen. With that came six images of the Chaos Emeralds and the names of their locations. The Secret Strikers had the same reaction when they saw the whereabouts of five out of the six jewels; one was located in the Mania Zone. The other ones were found in not one, not two, but five other dimensions.

"Oh, boy," Charmy said.

"You can say that again." Said Vector.

"Oh, boy." Charmy said again.

"Looks like this multiverse incident has affected more dimensions than I thought," Tails nodded. "Like Blaze said, Shadow has one from our zone and another is located in the Mania Zone. But there's one in the No Zone, one in the Boom Zone, one in Light Mobius, one in Dark Mobius, and the last one is in the Sol Zone."

Blaze gasped when she heard her world's name.

"The one in the Mania Zone is easily accessible," Tails turned to his team and spoke. "But the rest of them are across the multiverse. We have no way of getting to them… unless if we… I've calculated that the gateways to these worlds are in the Special Zone, but the only way to get there it through a Warp Ring. But here's the rub, the Warp Ring isn't big enough for all of us to fit into it. If we wanna get to them, we're gonna have to build a machine that'll make the Warp Ring take all of us to the Special Zone. We won't need much aside from a Warp Ring and a couple of supplies from Eggman's bases."

The team exchanged a nod.

"Perfect!" Knuckles said. "Where should we head first?"

"Two of Eggman's bases are in Green Hill and the Mystic Jungle," Tails said. "They should have plenty of supplies for us to _'borrow.'_ "

Clay raised his hand. "I remember there was a Warp Ring being on display at a museum in Freedom Heights. Not that I used to visit the museum every Sunday at 12:00 sharp or anything, but… wait, where was I going with this?"

"So, it's settled then. We're gonna steal some stuff and make a multiverse portal," Amy smiled. "Doesn't seem so hard."

"But we are aware that Eggman's bases are heavily fortified, right?" Silver inquired. "We're gonna need someone stealthy to get inside. And since Rouge isn't here, there's no way we could get inside without getting caught."

Team Chaotix stroked their chins and rubbed their heads.

Blaze folded her arms and thought about her reply.

Team Feral Strike did the same thing as the lavender cat.

Knuckles and Amy exchanged a glance.

Tails closed his eyes, pondering who apart from Rouge could pull off a successful robbery.

Sonic was the only one who knew someone who could help him and the others. "I know someone who can help us," he said, cracking his fingers. "But first, let me ask you all something… has anyone been in contact with the Babylon Rogues?"

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 16**_

* * *

 _The Secret Strikers have a plan to save the world by travelling into the multiverse, collecting the Chaos Emeralds, and awakening the Super Emeralds. But first, they must recruit the Babylon Rogues to assist them in their mission. Chaos' reason for joining the Illusionary Legion has been revealed; Tikal has been captures, so she must be rescued. Knuckles will make sure she returns safely. Infinite is starting to grow tired of Dr. Eggman's cockiness. How will this affect the future of the Illusionary Legion? I guess we'll find out as the Babylon Rogues return to us in..._

 _"Chapter 17: The Rise and Fall of the Babylon Rogues."_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _Sheesh, Lil' Blue. You really need to control what you say. In all seriousness, the short hedgehog has been through a lot, but he does have a long way to go._

 _Speaking of which, pay close attention to Clay's thoughts. He's starting to realize that he needs to change. He'll start once Sonic takes him under his wing._

 _I've planned for the Babylon Rogues to return for a while now, since they are some of my personal favorite characters in the Sonic franchise. I feel they're underrated characters that have some pretty cool backstories. Descendants of ancient genies? That's pretty cool._

 _Some of you may recognize some of the zone names in the multiverse. I have a poll on my profile that asks which dimension everyone should go to first. The Mania Zone is not on there because that one is merged with Mobius Prime. They don't need to go through the Special Zone to access the Mania Zone._

 _As always, thanks for taking the time to read this chapter. Tell me what you liked and what needs to be improved. I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you all next time.)_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	17. The Rise and Fall of the Babylon Rogues

_**A/N:** One thing I will say before this we get started with this chapter is that I'm going to be taking a break from uploading on here for a while. I have a few other stories I want to jumpstart and I also want to focus on getting the rest of this and Awakened down. I probably won't finish the entirety of both stories before I come back here, but I do want to jot down a few chapters. I want to stay ahead of the game, you know? As usual, thanks for all the love and support given to me by my reviewers and followers, as it does help a lot._

 _Don't forget to vote on the poll regarding which dimension everyone should travel to first!_

 _Also, I should say that I saw some cutscenes and some gameplay footage for Team Sonic Racing. Gotta say, I love what I saw so far. Sonic's characterization is on point for the most part, but Silver is obviously the best character in the game. The gameplay looks fun and the team mechanic looks to be easier than I thought it was gonna be. Overall, I'm looking foward to getting my hands on TSR. It seems Sonic's reputation is starting to come back on a positive note, but let's just hope the movie doesn't tarnish that._

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Lake Shore Drive - Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah_**

 ** _(2) The Promise - Sonic and the Secret Rings OST_**

 ** _(3) Reflection - Sonic Adventure 2 OST_**

 ** _(4) Un-Gravitify - Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **The Rise and Fall of the Babylon Rogues**

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Sonic? You are aware that the Babylon Rogues are not just highly trained thieves; they're legendary, I think. Also, didn't they try to kill you during the last Grand Prix?" Clay asked the blue hedgehog, who was outside Shrine Isle with the Tornado. He and Tails were packing some lunch and other necessities for their trip. The latter was talking with Amy, Knuckles, Relic, Skylar, and Emma. Lil' Blue was trying to ease Chaos' stress.

Sonic turned to the rabbit after he tossed his lunchbox into the Tornado. "It's the only plan we've got, Clay. I know the Babylon Rogues can be a handful, but like you said, they're professional bandits. I'm sure they'll help us if I convince them enough."

"All right, then. I'm not gonna question a professional hero," Clay said. "Speaking of which, I hate to sound annoying, but when is my training going to start?"

"Your training's gonna start as soon as I get back, Clay," Sonic smiled. "Like I said, dude. You have a good heart and I see you're improving a bit, but you need a little extra boost. Tails says that the Arsenal Pyramid has a Warp Ring locked in its vaults as well as a couple of supplies. That's gonna be your first day of training. Assuming all goes well with the Rogues, of course."

Clay nodded and offered a fist-bump. Sonic bumped the rabbit's fist and hopped into the Tornado. "Yo, Tails," Sonic called. "You ready to go?"

Tails turned around and waved his thumb at Sonic. He looked back at the echidna and spoke to him. "You sure you don't want to come with us, Knux? I'm sure Storm would _'love'_ to punch you again, ha-ha."

"As much as I'd love to knock that meathead's lights out," Knuckles grinned. "I can't. Chaos is under some stress, and I have to make sure he's okay. Plus, the Master Emerald still needs my attention."

"Understandable. You told me that Chaos joined Eggman's legion because Tikal was captured, right?"

Knuckles nodded. "Saving Tikal is going to be one of our main priorities. After you and Sonic leave, I'm going to tap into the Master Emerald and see if I can track Tikal. Hopefully, she's safe."

Tails nodded and held out his hand. "Good luck, Knuckles."

"Same to you, Tails," Knuckles shook the fox's hand. "Tell Storm I want a sparring match when this is over."

"I will." Tails replied. He walked down the shrine's steps and approached the tornado. But before he jumped aboard, Lil' Blue ran up to him and poked him by his side. Upon feeling that, the kitsune turned on his heel, making eye contact with the chubby hedgehog.

"Hey, Tails," Lil' Blue said in a soft tone. He rubbed his arm. "Listen… I just wanted to tell you; I have no intention of insulting you. I shouldn't have said what I said last night… I was just tired of people blaming me for this whole thing, you know. It ain't my fault this happened."

"So, it's _our_ fault then?" Tails snarled.

"What? No, I didn't mean it like that. I- "

"Listen, we're well aware we made a mistake, and we're trying to atone for it!" the fox yelled. "So, we don't need your judgement bringing us down. You can either stop being such a big shot and help or _you_ _can get out of my sight_."

Lil' Blue bowed his head in shame. He turned around and walked away. As soon as Clay heard the last sentence in Tails' rant, he was reminded of himself. _No… don't worry, Clay. You're going to be a good Freedom Fighter… I just need to get rid of my massive ego. But I wouldn't be this way if I… I… if things turned out the way I wanted them to be._

Sonic and Tails plopped themselves in their seats. The latter pulled the gearshift towards him and started the plane's engine. Sonic tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to him.

"Hey, Tails," said the hedgehog. "Take it easy on Lil' Blue. Remember what we talked about yesterday?"

Tails turned his head to the side.

"Try talking to him," Sonic smiled gently. "Maybe he'll come around." _**(1)**_

"…maybe… I located the Babylon Rogues. For some reason, I couldn't track their ship, but I found the coordinates on Wave's communicator. Surprisingly, they're in Avalon."

"Avalon?" Sonic asked. "That's weird. Oh, well… let's go get those Rogues."

Tails gripped the steering lever and the Tornado started driving down the grass. It took off to the sky. Turning to the left, the Tornado flew off Shrine Isle. Clay waved goodbye to the heroes, as Lil' Blue glanced over his shoulder before he continued walking away. Amy noticed the latter's sadness, so she got up and followed him.

* * *

Avalon, sometimes referred to as Mercia by tourists, was a beautiful country located in the continent of Eurish. The country consisted predominantly of forests and rivers. From what many visitors say, many of Avalon's citizens use Old English vocabulary in addition to speaking multiple languages and dialects: French being one of their personal favorites.

The Tornado zoomed across the clear, blue sky. It was cloudy where they were, but that didn't stop the sun from shining through them.

Sonic stood on the top, frontal part of the plane, feeling a gentle breeze brush against his fur.

He took a nice whiff of fresh air and stretched his arms. Letting out a relaxing exhale, he closed his eyes and sniffed the air again.

"Mother Nature," he said. "How I've missed you."

Tails smiled at that comment, as he felt the same satisfaction his brother was feeling. He had never been to Avalon before and he never realized it had gorgeous scenery. He too, sniffed the air and laughed. He was happy to be spending time with his brother and flying the Tornado once again.

He glanced down at the tracker on his Miles Electric; he and Sonic were getting close to Wave's location.

"We're almost there," the fox said. "Wave and the Rogues are in Deerwood Forest. There seems to be some kind of village there. Rumor has it a band of Freedom Fighters live there. They call themselves the Woodland Kingsmen. Sally told me about them in the past, but I've never met them before. I don't think she has either."

Sonic turned and winked. "More Freedom Fighters, eh? Wonder why the Babylon Rogues would be living with them."

"Beats me," said Tails. "We're getting close to the forest. I'll start landing the plane."

The Tornado swerved downward, as it started to fly over the forest.

Down below was Deerwood Forest; a huge and dense area that was dominated primarily by pine and other evergreen trees. It covered almost all of Avalon.

It had huge, towering ancient trees that anybody could go to visit. One theory about this forest was that it could be used as a safe haven. In truth, there was a small camp that housed many Mobians in there.

Sonic and Tails looked down below and found a village with houses in the trees, they were all connected to one another via bridges.

The residents looked up and saw the Tornado arrive on the scene. Some of them wondered what it was; however, others were hoping it wasn't a diabolical villain.

This caught the attention of an anthropomorphic sparrow with light brown and tan feathers that matched his eye color. For attire, he wore a red and black/navy hooded tunic, tan gloves, tan boots, and a red headband.

Next to him was a beige and black furred rabbit with purple eyes. She had a green and purple dress, a purple cape, brown shoes, two golden earrings, and a brown belt.

"How now?" said the sparrow, as the tornado landed right in front of the village.

Sonic and Tails jumped out of the plane and started walking towards the residence. From there, a brown dear with green eyes and brown robes greeted them. They could hear whispers from the civilians; they were their relief that Sonic is alive

"Could it be?" the deer smiled. "The noble hero back from the dead? Thank Mobius. The people of Hideaway are happy to see you return."

"Hiya," Sonic waved. "I assume you're the one in charge."

The deer chuckled. "Oh, no, no, my friends. A holy man like myself cannot handle the responsibility of a leader."

The sparrow and the rabbit grabbed a rope and hopped down on the grass. Joining them were a gray and white quail with a blue tunic and jester slippers and a brown rat with a green tunic and a green hat. They approached the duo.

"That honor goes to my good friend here," the deer stood up alongside his friends.

"Thank you, Buck," said the sparrow. "Welcome to Hideaway, Sir Sonic the Hedgehog and Sir Tails."

"You know us?" Tails asked with an excited smile.

"Of course!" the sparrow nodded. "My name is Bow Sparrow, and these are my humble Freedom Fighters: The Woodland Kingsmen. Friar Buck, Alan Quail, Munch Rat, and Thorn the Lop."

Sonic shook Bow's hand. "It's an honor to meet you guys."

"Likewise, my friends. Hence, what brings you here to Hideaway? Were Eggman's forces spotted near hither?"

"Nah, we're looking for a couple of," Sonic cringed because of what he was about to call the Babylon Rogues. " _Friends_. You see, the Secret Strikers have a plan to stop Eggman, but we need the help of three of our… _friends_. We were hoping you can help."

"Verily! A friend in need art a friend indeed. Who doth thou seeketh?"

Tails explained. "We're looking for a green hawk, a purple swallow, and a large, gray albatross. They're the Babylon Rogues. Have you seen them?"

Bow turned his head to his team. All of them had the same somber look on their faces.

"Oh, Nertz," said Munch. "They're not looking for those jokers, are they?"

"They're just as lazy as thou art, Munch," Alan teased.

"Shut yer gob, you musical feather head!" the rat snarled.

"They are here in this village," Bow replied. "But I am afraid they've become a lost cause."

Sonic and Tails exchanged a look of curiosity.

"Can you tell us where they are?" Tails asked.

Bow jerked his thumb upward. He pointed at a treehouse at the top left corner. "In that house up there. But I might not but warn thou, they're not expecting guests."

Sonic cracked his fingers, as Tails flew himself off the ground.

"Not to worry, once he sees me, he'll be _willing_ to talk!" Sonic smirked. He grabbed Tails' hands and he fox flew up to the house. Bow and his gang wished them luck, as they went back to what they were doing.

"Those birds won't budge, Bow," Thorn said. "They've been doing the same thing they do every day."

"I'm well aware, m'lady," Bow nodded. "But knowing someone as confident as Sonic, something good might come." _**(1s)**_

* * *

Sonic and Tails landed near the house and knocked on the door.

At first, nobody answered, but when Sonic tried to knock again, someone came to the door.

Wave the Swallow opened the door and gasped as soon as she saw their faces. Sonic and Tails smiled and waved at her.

"What's up, Wave?" Sonic greeted. "Long time no see."

Cupping one hand over her beak, Wave stepped outside and closed the door. "What do you two think you're doing here!?" she snarled.

"Sheesh, not a nice way to greet someone you haven't seen in a while," Sonic rolled his eyes sarcastically.

Wave glared at Sonic. "You have some nerve getting yourself killed and coming back here like it's nothing. Because of you, the Babylon Rogues haven't been the same! Thanks a lot for messing us up, you sorry excuse for a hero!"

"Lay off, Wave," Sonic scoffed, folding his arms. "Nice to see you too, by the way."

"Wait, Wave," Tails said. "What do you mean Sonic messed you guys up? Where's Jet?"

Wave growled and rolled her eyes. "Get inside and I'll show you."

The swallow grabbed the brothers by their chests and yanked them inside. They both fell on the ground before Wave pulled them up. Pushing them into the other room, Wave showed Sonic and Tails a messy living room with bags of chips and crumbs of food on the floor. A white carpet was stained with dried-up drinks and dirt from their shoes.

On the floor beside the TV was a video game console that had Eggman's logo on it. It was showing a video game where a monkey, who was stuck in a ball, had to traverse through an obstacle course.

Sitting on the couch, playing the game, was none other than Storm the Albatross.

He wore a headset and was munching on some tortilla chips. He dipped one of the pieces in guacamole and took a bite, wiping the crumbs on his leg. In the kitchen across from him, Jet the Hawk arrived with a bottle of Chao Cola in his hands. He took a quick sip before he gasped, nearly choking on his drink. He patted his chest, which stopped his choking, and he gawked at the sight of his arch-rival.

"Jet?" Sonic asked, wondering why the hawk was sitting here drinking soda instead of riding on his Extreme Gear. Said hawk placed his drink down and smiled.

"Sonic!" he exclaimed, as he wrapped the hedgehog in a bro-hug. "Oh, my gosh! It's so good to see you! We thought you were dead!"

Not knowing how to take this in without barfing at the mouth, Sonic patted Jet's back and gulped. The Jet he knew would never greet him with a hug, much less say that it's good to see him. Jet released Sonic and approached Tails.

"And I didn't forget about you too, you cuddly little rascal," Jet grinned, as he wrapped his arm around Tails' head and gave him a noogie.

"Okay, okay!" Tails shouted. "No, I'm good, I'm good… that's not necessary."

Jet let the fox go and walked near the albatross. "Sonic, Tails, you remember Storm, right? Storm, look who showed up."

Storm looked at the brothers and waved. "Hey, boys! How ya doin'?"

Sonic and Tails awkwardly returned the kind gesture.

"Chao Cola's in the can, feel free to grab a controller, and log onto the Eggnet. No password obviously," Storm laughed. As he continued playing the game, he heard someone speak through his headset. "Uh, oh. Boss, he's back. That guy on the TV just called me a poopy pants."

"Sambre De Amigo," Jet snarled.

"Yep. That guy's being mean to me again. I swear, I outta head over to where he is and pound him into the floor!"

"Let me see that, Storm," Jet said. Storm gave him the microphone. "Hola, Amigo. Yeah, it's me, Jet the Hawk here. Listen, senor. If you don't log off this game right now, I'm gonna come to basement you're hiding in, sneeze on you, rip off your arms, and shove them _up your butt!_ "

Sonic and Tails were silent. How would they respond to that?

"Si, Volver y llorar a tu padre, Olvidaste la franquicia," Jet said in an angry, Spanish voice. He gave the headset back to Storm. "Here you go, Storm. Let me know if he bothers you again. He and Nights always give us problems."

"Thanks, Boss," Storm said.

"Ah, ah. Don't call me boss anymore. It's Jet, remember?"

"R-right! S-sorry bo-I mean, Jet."

Jet turned back Sonic and Tails. "So, you guys wanna drink? Want some nachos? They're in the oven." He reached into the bucket and pulled out another bottle of Chao Cola. Sonic walked near him with an awkward smile on his face.

"Uh… Jet?" he asked, as he placed a hand on the hawk's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Of course, I am. Why, do I not look fine?"

Sonic turned to Tails, giving him a _"What did this guy do to himself?"_ look. "Jet, you still have a desire to prove you're the fastest thing alive, right? Don't you wanna race me?"

Jet walked towards his Extreme Gear, which was hanging against the wall next to Storm and Wave's hoverboards. He sipped his drink and replied with, "Nah, I don't really race anymore. Ever since I came here, I've learned there's more to life than just winning, stealing, and getting what you want. The only time I use these is when I head down to Blue Coast and buy some snacks."

Sonic was flabbergasted. There was no way this was the real Jet talking. Whatever happened to him must have been so awful, Jet's brain must have jumped out of his head, packed its bags, and ran away.

"So, what can I do for you guys?" Jet asked, taking another sip of his drink.

Sonic rubbed the back of his head. Never before had he felt so much pity for one person, much less his rival. "Jet… we need your help. The resistance and I think we have a chance of fixing everything."

"Like the cable? Thing's been driving me nuts for weeks."

"Eggman… we want to use the Super Emeralds to stop Eggman."

Wave and Storm widened their eyes and exchanged a brief glance. They were shocked when they heard that Sonic wanted to use ancient relics like the Super Emeralds to save the world. They looked at Tails and he nodded, confirming the information.

Jet placed his drink down and took a bite of his nachos and guacamole. "That's cool. I can help with that, so long as I don't have to break into a place and steal some stuff."

"We need you to break into a place and steal some stuff," Sonic said. Jet stopped eating and fell silent.

The hawk put his food on the table and wiped his hands. He sighed and replied, "Sorry, Sonic. But I'm afraid I can't help you. My days of stealing things and looking for ancient treasures are over."

"Come on, Jet!" Sonic retorted. "You're the leader of the Babylon Rogues!"

" _Was_ the leader," Jet replied. "Now, I'm a gamer. Speaking of which, hey, Storm. Wanna play Space Channel 5?"

"Oh, yeah!" Storm smiled, slapping his hand against his knee. "Ulala's my babe!"

The green hawk changed the monkey game to Space Channel 5. He popped it up on the screen and navigated through the main menu. He picked up a controller, as a level of the game started playing. He and Storm fist bumped, as they both started their multiplayer campaign. Sonic walked back to Tails, who was just as disappointed in Jet as his brother was.

Wave bowed her head in shame, as the duo watched the two birds sit on the couch playing the video game.

"Jet?" Tails asked, trying to get the hawk's attention. "Jet!"

Jet and Storm didn't listen to them.

"Jet!" Tails shouted again.

"Let it go, Tails," Sonic said in a low tone. "I think we've done enough."

"But we need- "

"We'll find another way… at least, I hope we will. Come on, Tails. We're wasting our time."

Opening the door, Sonic allowed Tails to go outside first before he followed behind him. He gently closed the door, leaving Wave to sit there and wonder what the Secret Strikers' big plans are for the Super Emeralds.

As she watched Jet and Storm talk about who's gonna get the higher score, she went outside and saw Sonic and Tails walking down a bridge.

She turned to face her friends one more time before she chased after her rivals. "Hey, hold up a second!"

Tails and Sonic stopped and watched her approach them.

"What's this plan you guys have with the Super Emeralds?" the swallow inquired. "Legend has it they can grant power that's stronger than all seven Chaos Emeralds. What could you want with them?"

Sonic folded his arms and pointed at the purple bird. "First, tell us what Jet is in such a slump. Am I seriously the cause of all of this? What am I, the thing that keeps him going? If that's the case, I don't know whether to feel flattered or creeped out."

"Okay, when I said that, I meant something else by it," said Wave. She rubbed her arms and made eye contact with the ground. "When Jet saw your death on the news, he didn't believe it at first. But after some thought, he realized it was true. A couple of days later, he decided to look for some ancient treasure as a way to calm himself down. He didn't cry like everyone else did when they heard the news, but he's always wanted to prove to you that he's faster. I thought that since you died, he would self-proclaim himself as the fastest thing alive, but he wanted to prove that through a race."

Sonic looked thoughtful. "I remember you guys had a ton of stuff, but it looks like you lost most of it. So, what happened next?" _**(2)**_

"I'll get to that if you shut up and listen… Anyways, where was I? Oh, right… he located some ancient treasure in Cocoa Island and told me to set a course for it. So, I did, and it took us around fifteen minutes to arrive. After zooming around for a bit, we found this underwater cavern with all sorts of gems, jewels, and other things that could have made us a profit.

"As we looted the cavern, we were ambushed by… by… them. Turns out the island was taken over by a bunch of birds called the Battle Bird Armada. They told us to stand down. Of course, knowing Jet; he lead out of there with the treasure and we made our way back to the ship. But just as we boarded, the Battle Lord issues a full assault. His son, Speedy lead an army of battle birds into the ship and they attacked us. Jet managed to fight off Speedy, but he was too slow to realize the army was taking our stuff.

"So, they tossed us overboard, stole our loot, and took our ship back to their fortress. They left the island and flew away… our Extreme Gears were left behind, thank goodness… we chased after them to get our stuff back, but along the way, we got lost a few times. It was also at that moment where Jet… he started to lose himself.

"As time progressed, he started to lose the motivation to go out and steal back our stuff. He began to question why he chose to take over things for this father and lead the Babylon Rogues… then… Jet was lost. He just wasn't himself anymore…"

Sonic and Tails did nothing but look at each other. They had no idea Jet could feel an emotion like depression. Throughout their years of Extreme Gear racing, they've always known Jet as a greedy, ruthless, bird who hated losing.

But they also remembered he liked to play fair; he was above cheating.

The duo turned back at Wave's somber face; she was rubbing her arm and adjusting her white bandana.

She continued. "Eventually, we arrived in Avalon, where Bow and his gang happily accepted us. I've been working on mechanical inventions for them while Jet and Storm just sit on the couch and play video games… Jet says he's happy here, but I know that deep down inside… he's depressed."

Sonic and Tails sighed.

"Why don't you help him get back up?" Tails asked.

"You think I didn't try?" Wave mumbled. "No matter how many times I tell him to get back up, he always told me that bad luck would come and bite him in the tail feathers again."

"But you're his friend, right?" Sonic asked. "I don't know how close you are with Jet and Storm, but if I were you, I'd find a way to get Jet back up; no matter how much he wants to sit down and do nothing. In other words… if I were his best friend, I wouldn't give up on him."

The purple-feathered swallow felt her heart ache when she heard that.

She and Jet may have their differences, but she always thought of him as a little brother. Seeing him in the state he is now made her feel devastated. She turned her aqua blue eyes to the ground, as she walked towards the rope connecting the bridge.

Placing her arms on top of it, she hung her head low and sighed.

"I've tangled with the Battle Bird Armada before," Tails said softly. "They're horrible people. They believe that birds should only rule the skies."

Wave fell silent; she closed her eyes and wiped them.

"Our plan was to gather the Chaos Emeralds, so we could awaken the Super Emeralds," Tails said again. "We needed you to steal some supplies from Eggman's base… but we can find someone else to do it."

Again, the swallow didn't say a word.

"It was nice seeing you again, Wave," Tails said. His head bowed in shame. "I… hope we meet again soon."

And with that, Sonic and Tails went back to the Tornado and took off, leaving the Babylon Rogues alone.

Letting out another low exhale, Wave didn't know what to do about this. She has tried many times to motivate Jet, but she just couldn't do it. Rubbing her hands across her face, she nodded because Sonic was right. Aside from Storm, Jet always looked up to Wave as his closest friend. Sure, he'd never listen to her boring speeches and neglected her lectures, but he still showed concern for her when she wasn't happy or something terrible happened to her.

Wave sat there and thought about her decision… then, she nodded and stormed back to the house.

She had an idea to get her friend back on his feet. _**(2s)**_

* * *

 _ **(3)**_ Lil' Blue sat on the ledge of a platform in Sky Sanctuary.

As the Secret Strikers took some time to rest up and prepare for Sonic and Tails' return, Lil' Blue had decided he'd be better off up here than down with the team. In other words, he thought they'd be better off without him.

When Tails first told him that Mobius Prime's Sonic was dead, he selfishly laughed because he thought it was a joke. Never did he ever imagine a world where Dr. Eggman wins; that was quite a culture shock for him. He apologized for it on the Death Egg in hopes of making Tails comfortable around him…

…but then, he had to screw up again by lashing out.

Calling out the Secret Strikers for what happened six months ago caused him to insult Tails once more. This time, he did more harm than before. He scolded Tails for letting Sonic die. To which, it wasn't the fox's fault to begin with.

Sonic sacrificed himself to save his friends. How could Lil' Blue say something bad about that?

He kept asking himself the same question, as he sat there in distress.

The sun was still shining, and the clouds roamed the sky. Lil' Blue looked up and watch the white puffs loom underneath the sun, blocking its gleaming, yellow light.

Just then, it started to rain. Droplets of water poured down from the sky, as the sound of thunder echoed through the zone. Lil' Blue held his hand up and felt water bounce on and off his palm. At first, he was annoyed, but he thought he deserved it after all the pain he caused Tails and the resistance. He folded his arms and closed his eyes, asking himself why he said the things he said.

Then, something blocked the rain from hitting his fur.

He looked up and saw Amy Rose, who was holding a large red umbrella over the chubby hedgehog's head. She gave it to him, as she took out another blue umbrella.

She sat down next to him and looked up at the sky.

"How're you doing?" Amy asked with a gentle smile.

Lil' Blue sighed. "Fine… weather could be better though."

"Yeah, it was supposed to be sunny today," said Amy. "But I guess our meteorologist was wrong as always."

Lil' Blue chuckled at that joke before he went back to his moment of regret. Then, out of nowhere, he said to the pink hedgehog, "I think this team's better off without me."

Amy turned to him. "What?"

"You heard me. This team would be better if I left… I could find my own way back home while you guys save the world. Trust me, it's better this way."

"Why do you want to leave?"

"Because… because I've hurt you guys twice yesterday… first, I obnoxiously laugh at your Sonic's presumed death and then I lash out at you guys for the Phantom Ruby thing… I know Tails wasn't blaming me, but I thought he was at first… older me didn't know about this whole thing, so it makes sense he would assume it's my fault… actually… it is my fault."

Amy shook her head. "No, it's not. You didn't know the Phantom Ruby could cancel out the emeralds' powers. You just tried to destroy it, that's all."

"Yeah, out of impulse. If I had thought twice about that, none of this would've happened. I could have stayed home, and your Tails would never be hurt by my words…"

"Well, Lil' Blue. If there's anything Silver has taught me… it's that you can't change the past, but you can always change the future."

"He's a time-traveler. He changes the past all the time."

"I know, but… you get what I mean, don't you?"

Lil' Blue shook his head.

"I know you're under a lot of stress; a lot happened to you yesterday. You came from your world and helped us save Sonic… it makes sense that'd you be a little tense after taking so much in at one time, but what you said to Tails and us wasn't cool."

"Yeah… I realize that now."

"But that doesn't mean you can't make up for it," Amy smiled, wrapping an arm around the blue hero's shoulder. "What you said is in the past, and I'm sure that if you make up for it in the future… our team will learn to forgive you."

Lil' Blue turned his face and gazed into Amy's grassy green eyes. Her gentle smile sparked something in his heart. It wasn't love; it was hope. She was correct about what he said exists in the past, so now he can have a chance to make up for his mistakes in the future. The cobalt mammal smiled and gave the pink girl a thumbs up and a smile.

"Thanks, Ames," he smiled. "I appreciate it. I promise, I'll think twice before I talk."

Amy returned the same gesture and gave the short hero a small hug. She then stood up and started walking towards the exit in the pouring rain.

"You coming?" Amy asked.

Lil' Blue nodded and ran past her at supersonic speed. "Race ya!"

"Hey!" Amy laughed, as she ran after him. "Come back here!"

The two took off in the rain, making their way to the sanctuary's exit. _**(3s)**_

* * *

Jet and Storm sat in front of the TV. They were not playing video games this time; instead, they were watching a popular romantic movie called, _"The Fault in Our Khans."_

On the TV screen, a Mobian monkey named Monkey Khan was holding hands with a female hedgehog portrayed by the movie's producer, Breezie the Hedgehog.

" _Khan!"_ Breezie's character cried, as she stroked the monkey's face. _"I cannot be with you for much longer. For I, have a disease called… bananavitus. It's a horrible disease. One that you get by eating a banana that's not ripe yet. Oh, the pain just kills me!"_

Breezie's character collapsed onto the ground, as Monkey Kahn kneeled down beside her. Tears were flowing down his cheeks.

" _No!"_ Monkey Kahn held the hedgehog tight. _"It's okay if you have bananavitus… for I… I too have a disease coursing through my body!"_

"Oh, no way!" Storm exclaimed.

"Didn't see that coming," Jet gasped.

" _What do you mean, Kahn?"_ Breezie's character cried. _"Do you have bananavitus too?"_

" _No, my love,"_ Monkey Kahn wiped his eyes. _"I have something much worse… I have…_ _ **orangeitus!**_ _"_

Jet and Storm gasped with utter shock.

As the two actors on the TV were about the kiss, the screen suddenly went black.

The two birds moaned and looked at the culprit who unplugged the TV; it was Wave.

"Wave!" Jet groaned. "Come on!"

"You ruined a breathtaking plot twist!" Storm mumbled, as he folded his arms.

"What gives, Wave?" Jet asked before he saw that Wave was saddened by what he was doing. She sat the plug down and walked towards him, placing both hands on his shoulders.

"Jet…" she said. " _Get. Out. There. On. Your. Extreme. Gear!_ Go steal something! Look for hidden treasure! Do more than just sit around playing video games and watching a cheesy soap opera."

"First off, that movie's a romantic drama! There's a difference!" Jet snarled. "Besides, those days are over."

"The only reason those days are over is because you say they're over. So what if the Battle Bird Armada stole out stuff!? We can get it back!"

"Wave, don't you understand!? We've lost everything! We tried to get it back and we failed! There's nothing we can do! Our reputation as rogues has been tarnished!..." Jet walked over and grabbed a bottle of Chao Cola. Taking a sip, he sat back down on the couch. "Now, put the TV back on, so Storm and I could watch our movie."

The gray albatross shared a glance with the purple swallow; he got up on his feet and brushed the food crumbs off his legs.

"Boss," he said gently. "Wave's right."

Jet almost choked on his next sip. "W-what did you say, Storm?"

"Boss… you can't give up like this. You're Jet the Hawk: Leader of the Babylon Rogues. No army of geese are gonna stop you, right?"

Jet sipped his drink.

Wave bent down on her knees and said, "If your father were here, right now… do you think he'd be proud of what you'd become?"

"Don't bring him into this," Jet murmured.

"Boss, we- " Storm said, before Jet went on a rant.

"Look, let me ask you two something! If you're so upset that I stepped down as leader, why haven't you left me already? If you two were smart, you would have disappeared and left me alone! Why did you stick with me, huh!?"

Storm was the first to reply. "Because you're more than just our leader, Boss… you're our friend. Back in the early days of our team, you always yelled at us whenever we screwed up, yes, but you always said that we're a family and family sticks together, no matter what!"

Wave nodded, "For once, I'm agreeing with Storm. We're not just legendary thieves… we're a family… and we're not going to leave you, even if you want us to."

After hearing something he'd never thought his team would say, Jet stopped drinking his soda and placed it down on the table. Pressing his hands together, he leaned forward and let out a low sigh.

Then, he glanced at his Extreme Gear: Type-J, that stood still next to Wave and Storm's air boards. It just sat there against the wall, collecting dust.

He got up from the chair and gave his team a heavy grin.

"Heh… I think it's time for a little fun."

* * *

In the skies of Avalon, Tails flew the Tornado over the trees. He felt bad that Jet was in a slump, but he felt worse that the mission to recruit him and the Rogues failed.

Sonic was just as upset, as he sat on the edge of the plane with his arms folded. He rubbed his eyes and tried to think of all the times he and Jet raced each other in the World Grand Prix and the time they were looking for the Ark of the Cosmos (Gravity Stones).

"Well… that could have gone better," Tails said. "What are we gonna do now, Sonic? Should we contact Rouge?"

"I tried," Sonic replied. "She's not responding… guess we're just gonna have to wing it."

"Wing it?" Tails asked. "But we'll get fried by Eggman's forces."

Sonic smiled. "Don't worry, little bro… if things get crazy… I'll be there to protect you."

Tails nodded at that. "Likewise."

As the two continued to fly, they heard a sudden shout come from behind them. _**(4)**_

" _SONIC!_ "

It was Jet the Hawk.

Curious, Sonic turned around and gasped when he saw green, violet, and gray streaks of light zooming across the sunny sky. Tails looked back as well and laughed in excitement.

The Babylon Rogues were riding on their Extreme Gear; they were back in the game.

Wave and Storm flew beside Tails and gave him a smirk added with a wink.

Jet flew up beside the blue hedgehog; the latter grinned.

"Look who finally got up," Sonic said.

"So, you need help stealing something, eh?" Jet smirked. "It's gonna cost ya, but the Rogues and I are up for it. But first, we gotta stop by the Battle Bird Armada's fortress. They have something of mine, and I want it back!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Sonic gave a thumbs up. "Tails, let's- "

"Hold it," Jet held his hand out. "Let's make this fun, shall we? The first one to the fortress is the fastest creature in the universe!"

"Ha! I'd love to race ya, Jet, but I left my gear at- "

"Ahem!" Tails said, clearing his throat. He reached into a compartment and whipped out Sonic's hoverboard: the Speed Star. He tossed it to his brother and watched him catch it. "Figured we were gonna need that."

Sonic smiled. "Tails, have I ever told you that you're my little bro?"

"Only a million times," Tails replied.

Tossing his board into the air, Sonic leaped up and jumped on top of it. He roamed across the sky and performed a few back flips, front flips, side flips, and corkscrews. He and Jet raced next to one another and took off faster than the speed of light.

"I got a signal on the Battle Bird Armada's fortress!" Tails exclaimed. "Follow me!"

"More like, follow is, Shorty!" Wave retorted, as she took off ahead of the Tornado. Storm followed behind her.

"Let's show those pigeons who's boss!" the albatross clapped his fists together.

Sonic and Tails made their way to the Battle Bird Armada's fortress, determined to win back what was taken from the Babylon Rogues. _**(4s)**_

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 17**_

* * *

 _The Babylon Rogues are back in the game! Sonic and Tails have accomplished their mission, but they must help their rivals get their stuff back from the Battle Bird Armada, which is easier said than done. It seems Lil' Blue has learned a thing or two from Amy, but Tails still has a dislike for the Mania Zone Sonic, so it will take Lil' Blue some time to win Tails' trust. But at least Amy was there to help him clear his mind. But what will happen to Knuckles when he goes to search for Tikal? How will it go? What will he find? Guess we'll have to find out when we return to the action in..._

 _"Chapter 18: Babylon Rising."_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _For those that have seen a certain movie, you may recognize where Jet's depression comes from. I know it's been three-four weeks since this movie came out, but there are some people who haven't seen it yet. Quite shocking if you ask me._

 _"Si, Volver y llorar a tu padre, Olvidaste la franquicia" = "Yeah, go cry to your father, you forgotten franchise."_

 _I know there may some people who will nitpick this and say, "SD, you idiot! Bow Sparrow and the Woodland Kingsmen are called the Mercian Freedom Fighters! Pick up a comic book, you hobo!" First off, someone being a stuck up dork like that annoys me. Secondly, Bow and his gang were called the Mercian Freedom Fighters in the old continuity of the comics. They are called the Woodland Kingsmen in the current comics. Since we've never seen them in those reboot Archie Comics, I just stuck with the old cast and gave them their rebooted name._

 _The Battle Bird Armada, despite being known thanks to the Sonic Archie Comics, are actually the bad guys in an old Sonic game called Tails' Adventure. Yep, Tails has his own game. Two, actually. Tails' Sky Patrol and Tails' Adventure. I never played them personally, but they look cool._

 _As usual, don't forget to tell me what you liked and what could be improved. Let me know what predictions you have to, since I do love hearing what you guys think of certain plot elements. Thank you for taking the time to read. I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you all next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	18. Babylon Rising

_**A/N:** Yep, this story makes a return after quite some time. Now, the last time we left off, the Babylon Rogues have joined the Secret Strikers... sort of. Basically, Sonic and Tails have agreed to help them raid the Battle Bird Armada to steal back supplies for the Rogues. So, now. We return to the action after two chapters of cool down. I want to thank each and every one of you for over **90 reviews!** I hope you all enjoy!_

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Sonic Speed Riders - Sonic Riders OST  
_**

 ** _(2) Tikal's Theme - Sonic Adventure OST_**

 ** _(3) Catch Me If You Can - Sonic Riders OST or Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity OST_**

 ** _(4) E.G.G.M.A.N. - Sonic Adventure 2 OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **Babylon Rising**

Dr. Fukurokov: a Mobian owl with a long white beard and a pirate hat with a skull on it adjusted his red lab coat and tightened his gray cuffs that matched the color of his socks. He was sitting inside his laboratory in the Battle Bird Armada's flying fortress, building new machines that will assist the Battle Lord in his quest for world domination.

He picked up a screwdriver and tightened a bolt on his newest creation, which was partially covered by a white sheet.

As he worked on his machine, he was humming a peaceful tune.

Picking up a wrench and a hammer, he slammed a nail into a socket and loosened a bolt he didn't need.

He was working without any interruptions when suddenly, he heard something from his computer. Turning around, he saw that a red button on his desktop was blinking and making an annoying beeping sound. Frustrated that he had to step away from his work, Dr. Fukurokov stomped over to his computer and saw that one of his security cameras detected a breech outside the fortress. _**(1)**_

Looking up what is was, he gasped as he found himself watching Sonic, Tails, and the Babylon Rogues infiltrating the fortress. They ambushed some of the guards and dodged the lasers that fired from the security system.

Storm grabbed two of the guards and slammed their heads into each other.

Wave smacked a dozen of them with her oversized wrench.

Jet, using his Bashosen; a large weapon with leaves as the blades, blew his enemies into the air.

Sonic and Tails homing attacked them with a Rolling Combo.

Dr. Fukurokov gasped, as he felt a million drops of sweat pour down his face.

" _BOSS!_ " he shouted at the top of his lungs. "We have a situation!"

A brown-feathered bird with the same hat as the engineer walked into the room. He wore a red shirt and green pants that were connected to his shoes. He wore glossy, aqua blue glasses and his beak was a bright yellow. His name… was Battle Lord Kukku XV.

"What is it, Doctor?" the lord snarled, as he approached the computer. Astonished that the Babylon Rogues returned. He stole their ship and treasure six months ago; he wondered what took them so long. Still, he grinned heavily and rubbed his hands together. "Send in the troops and your best inventions… kill them all."

* * *

"Beat em' to the finish, Rogues!" Jet laughed, as he easily fought his way through the crowd of battle birds. "Leave em' in the dust and get our ship back!"

Sonic rode on his Extreme Gear and sped up next to Jet. The two of them boosted into hordes of enemies, making them eat their dust.

Tails flew around the hallway, shooting electric projectiles at the battle birds. They were shooting at him, but they missed. Rolling across the ground, Tails morphed his gun into a wrecking ball and swung it around like a ninja. Hacking and slashing, Tails finished off the enemies in front of him.

"Wow," Storm said, as he knocked a soldier's lights out. "That's a pretty cool gun. Wouldn't you say, Wave?"

The swallow glanced at the weapon created by the fox. She thought it was a neat invention, but of course, she didn't want to admit that out loud.

"Eh, it's okay," Wave said. _Dang, I really need that weapon._

Sonic and Jet continued doing what they were doing before; blasting through soldiers.

"Outta the way, bird brains!" Sonic quipped. "Fastest thing alive, coming through!"

"Aww, Sonic," Jet said. "Nice of you to acknowledge me like that."

"Ha! You crack me up, Jet!" Sonic chuckled. "You're no faster than a snail!"

"We'll see about that, Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Tails, Wave, and Storm ran after both racers, as they made their way into a different room. From there, they were cornered by enemies with laser blasters on the ground. Above them, was a large catwalk. Sonic, Tails, and the Rogues were about to push past them, when suddenly…

…they were surrounded. _**(1s)**_

Robots made by Dr. Fukurokov landed on all sides of the ground and aimed their weapons at the heroes. More battle birds arrived on the scene and ran across the catwalk, stopping in their tracks and aiming their guns downward.

Just then, a Mobian bird with white spandex with orange stipes appeared in the middle of the battlefield. He had a red scarf around his neck and brown goggles with red lenses. He had light brown gloves and boots and his eyes were orange. His name was Speedy: Battle Lord Kukku's son.

The Secret Strikers and the Rogues stopped in the middle of their tracks.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Babylon Rogues," Speedy snickered. "Didn't we finish you losers a while back?"

"Good to see you again, Squirt," Jet mocked the green bird.

"It's not Squirt! It's Speedy!"

"Tomato, tomato."

"What brings you here to the Battle Bird Armada? Come to steal our loot?"

"Actually, we came back to steal what's rightfully ours!"

"The treasure from the cavern?"

"No!... my ship."

"That piece of trash? Took you long enough to come after it, don't you think?"

"I've had a little bit of a setback for the past six months…" Jet smirked and turned to Wave and Storm; they returned the same gesture. "But I've had a little help. All right, Speedy, where's your dad? I wanna talk to him about my ship!"

Battle Lord Kukku and Dr. Fukurokov arrived on the catwalk. Speedy looked up at his father, so did everyone else.

The battle lord placed his hands on the railing, sneering down at the heroes who dared to infiltrate his living quarters.

Jet, Wave, and Storm glanced upward and snarled.

Sonic and Tails fist bumped before they glared at the bird.

Battle Lord Kukku cracked his knuckles and continued looking at the three birds until Tails caught his attention. He recalled fighting the two-tailed hero thwarting his plans to colonize Cocoa Island with battle birds. Tails, who had a private house there, defeated them with ease and hasn't seen them since. He stared at the battle lord, getting a sense of déjà vu.

"Tails, my old friend," said Battle Lord Kukku. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

"Indeed, it has," Tails replied, cocking his weapon. "I haven't forgotten when you invaded my island!"

"That island never belonged to you to begin with. We had every right to invade it. I was amused by your intelligence, combat skills, and strong wit. I never imagined a fox with two tails would be able to defeat my army… you impressed me back then. Unlike you, Jet the Hawk."

Jet cracked his fingers and flexed the green feathers on his head.

"While you and your Babylon Rogues fought your way through my forces, you allowed your ship to be stolen so easily. And then, you wait a total of six months to steal it back. That's kind of funny if you ask me."

"Like I told your dingus son, I went through a bit of a phase," Jet replied. "Now I'm back and I'm here to take back what's mine! Speaking of which… _where's my airship!?_ "

* * *

On Shrine Isle, Team Chaotix and Relic watched as Knuckles and Chaos stood by the Master Emerald. The two were going to tap into the emerald's connections and locate Tikal. The three detectives and the pika glanced at each other, worrying that something might go wrong for Knuckles and Chaos.

Espio walked near the echidna and asked, "Are you sure this is the best idea?"

"It's better than going around the world and mindlessly destroying Eggman's bases until we find her," Knuckles answered. "Tikal is in danger and I want to save her. Chaos feels guilty about joining the Illusionary Legion, so he wants to atone it by working with us."

"Wonder what's inside the Master Emerald?" Charmy asked, scratching his head. "Imagine if Tikal and Chaos live in this sweet mansion with a pool, thirty-seven bedrooms, snack tables, and a treehouse! Wouldn't that be so awesome?"

"Now, why would they need thirty-seven bedrooms, Charmy?" Vector inquired.

"So, when we come over, we have a place to sleep. _Duh!_ " Charmy replied, annoying Vector yet again.

Relic shook Knuckles' hand. "We'll be here when you get back, Knuckles. Good luck in there."

"We wish you the best of luck, Guardian sir," Fixit bowed.

Team Chaotix gave their friend a thumbs up.

Knuckles and Chaos nodded to each other, as the former began to say Tikal's famous prayer. " _The servers are the 7 Chaos. Chaos is power… Power enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos."_

Just then, a flash of green light blanketed over Knuckles and Chaos. Shielding their eyes, they felt themselves being pulled inside the magic gemstone. _**(2)**_

* * *

"…huh?... where are we?"

Knuckles and Chaos woke up inside of a laboratory. It was covered with light blue tubes with matching colored chemicals. The two glanced around a little bit until the heard someone moaning and struggling.

Wondering what it was, Knuckles and Chaos peeked around the corner and saw Tikal.

The spirit of the orange echidna was trapped inside one of the tubes. Her hands and feet were trapped in red cubes created by the Phantom Ruby. She was being electrocuted by some Egg Pawns that wanted her to talk, but what information could she hold?

Chaos widened his eyes and went to save his friend, but Knuckles pulled him back a bit… because someone was coming.

Dr. Eggman, Orbot, and Cubot walked near the orange spirit, as the Egg Pawns stopped hurting her with electricity.

Tikal shot her eyes to the ground and huffed in relief; she was glad that her torture was over. She struggled to get out of her chamber, but no matter how much focus she put into her spiritual powers, she couldn't escape.

The fat doctor stroked his mustache and sneered at the orange echidna. "Greetings, little one. How are we today?"

Tikal raised her head, feeling a thousand shivers run through her body. "Please… stop… don't do this."

"Chaos made a mistake leaving you here. If he stayed and helped me capture Sonic and the Secret Strikers, I would have given you back to him as promised," Dr. Eggman said, tossing the Phantom Ruby up and down. "But since he ditched you like a heartless jerk, I've decided to keep you here for a while."

The water god shook his fists and extended his claws. How dare Eggman accuse him of ditching Tikal? He wasn't going to let that slide, so he lunged forward to strike the doctor.

"Chaos, wait!" Knuckles called.

But it was too late, Chaos attacked Dr. Eggman… or so he thought.

He didn't injure the doctor at all; he went through him instead. Tumbling across the ground, he landed on his rear end and looked up at Eggman in surprise. Knuckles had the same reaction. He just watched Chaos go through Dr. Eggman and he didn't know how that was possible.

Chaos swatted at Dr. Eggman a few times, but his attacks had no effect.

"So, Tikal," Dr. Eggman paced back and forth; Chaos continued to "attack" him. "Do you know why you're here?"

"So Chaos can join your empire," Tikal sighed.

"Correct!... But that's not the reason why you're here. You're the one weakness to that infernal echidna, Knuckles, and I have a trap set for him and the Secret Strikers. You're the key component to that trap."

Knuckles listened closely, as Chaos tried harder to hurt the doctor.

He approached the fat scientist and waved his hand against his leg; he got the same result as Chaos. His hand was phasing through him.

Tikal looked at Knuckles and Chaos and gasped.

Knuckles made a motion that said, _"Shh, we're gonna get you out of here."_

Tikal nodded. "What role do I play in this trap of yours, Doctor?"

"It's simple, my dear," Dr. Eggman said, grinning. "You're going to play the role of the victim. You see, in each of these tubes is a different chemical designed to inflict chemical burns on the intruders along with several Egg Pawns, who are ready to electrocute those meddlesome Secret Strikers! The only way you can stop the death of your friends is to convince Chaos to rejoin my empire."

Chaos stopped "attacking" Eggman and listened to the conversation.

"Chaos suffered enough when he was part of the Illusionary Legion," Tikal said calmly. "You made him hurt millions of people. He's probably at home right now, wondering where I am."

She was clearly lying because she turned to Chaos and winked. Dr. Eggman looked at what she winked at and saw nothing. He shrugged his shoulders and continued. "That mindless creature has no chance of finding your location prior to what I have planned. I'm going to lure the Secret Strikers to the Mystic Jungle and ambush them with my forces. Hahahahahahaha! They'll never see me coming!"

The mad doctor snarled once more before he walked away with Orbot and Cubot.

As soon as they left, Tikal tilted her head to both heroes.

"Chaos, Knuckles," she smiled.

"Tikal!" Knuckles exclaimed happily. "Thank goodness you're okay. What's going on? Why can't we attack Eggman?"

"You're spirits," Tikal replied. "You can physically touch or attack people nor objects."

"What is this place?" Knuckles asked. "How can we get you out?"

"This place is a laboratory created by Dr. Eggman. He uses this place to experiment with the Phantom Ruby. It's located in the Mystic Jungle."

Tikal gasped once again as soon as Orbot and Cubot came back to clean the place.

"You two need to go," she told them.

"What? No! We're not leaving you!" Knuckles retorted.

"Knuckles, please… just go, I'll be okay." Tikal smiled. She looked down at the saddened look on Chaos' face. His green eyes were looking at the ground. The orange echidna smiled at the water creature, as she whispered to him.

"Chaos," she said. Chaos looked up and saw her gentle gesture. "Go… I know you'll come for me."

Hesitant to leave her alone again, Chaos nodded and regrouped with Knuckles.

"We'll come back for you," Knuckles said. "I promise."

Tikal smiled back. "I know you will."

Knuckles pressed his hands together and said Tikal's prayer again.

The same flash of light occurred and covered Knuckles and Chaos again.

* * *

Both heroes shot out of the Master Emerald and landed on their backsides. Team Chaotix and Relic helped them up.

"What happened in there?" Charmy asked.

"Did you discover anything?" Espio added.

Knuckles brushed himself off and answered both Espio and Relic's questions. "We found Tikal… and she's in trouble." _**(2s)**_

* * *

Battle Lord Kukku stepped down the stairs of the catwalk. The Babylon Rogues, Sonic, and Tails watched him. "You couldn't live with your own failure, Jet," he said. "Where did that bring you?... Back to me."

Sonic whispered to Tails. "He totally stole that from a movie."

"Cut the chit chat, Battle Lord," Wave finally spoke up. "Just give us back our ship. We Rogues have better things to do than sit around here and talk all day."

"Right you are, Wave," Battle Lord Kukku grinned. "But I stole your ship fair and square. Heh, if you were mature adolescents, you'd understand."

"Blah, blah, blah!" Sonic mocked the bird. "All of this talking is driving me bonkers! Let's just skip to the part where we kick your butt already!"

"Hey, don't talk to my father like that!" Speedy growled.

"Oh, sorry," Sonic rolled his eyes sarcastically. "I _totally_ didn't mean to disrespect the future Battle Lord."

"Why you little-!" Speedy was about to shoot Sonic with his projectile, but his father placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

Battle Lord Kukku smiled. "I never thought I'd meet you in person, Sonic the Hedgehog. When Dr. Eggman called me and warned me about your return, I thought he'd gone insane. But now that I see you in the flesh, I'm beginning to think the Doctor's not as crazy as I thought he was."

"So, you're working for Egghead, huh?" Sonic folded his arms.

"When Team Dark and Chaos dropped out of the Illusionary Legion, Dr. Eggman contacted me and another old friend. One that Tails may recognize."

Tails thought about who that enemy could be.

"Anyways," the battle lord continued. "Make this easy for yourselves and leave now. You Rogues have already failed once, what makes you think you can beat me again?"

"Are you talking trash to us?" Storm clapped his fists together. "No ones talks down to us unless I smash them first!"

"You'd really smash your former boss, Storm?"

Sonic and Tails raised their eyebrows when they heard that. The Babylon Rogues noticed their confusion and explained what that comment meant.

"Back in the day," Jet began. "The Babylon Rogues and I worked for this bozo. We served a pretty good time here, but he wanted to convince me to join his conquest for world domination. If you know me, you know that imperialism isn't something I'm into. All I wanted was to seek adventure; Wave and Storm were looking for the same thing. So, I convinced them to leave this joint, stole a ship, and went on our merry way."

"If you guys worked for them, how come I didn't see you during Cocoa Island's invasion?" Tails inquired.

Storm was puzzled. "Uh… I don't think we were employed at that time. Were we, Boss?"

"No, Storm," Battle Lord Kukku responded. "You weren't."

"Hey, he was talking to me!" Jet growled, pointing at himself.

"He still calls you Boss?" the bird said. "Don't make me laugh. You're in no shape to be a leader nor are you in shape to continue your father's legacy… I never knew your father personally, Jet, but I've heard legends about him; he was truly magnificent. One of the best thieves in history… but he was hot-headed, stupid, stubborn… always hated losing. He couldn't live with the fact he lost, so he always tried to make it up… I can see where you get your arrogance from."

"Don't you dare talk down to Jet like that!" Wave threatened the lord.

"You can't live with your mistakes, Jet," Battle Lord Kukku whispered into the hawk's ear. "That's your biggest downfall. The fact that you're here to take back your ship after six months disgusts me. It shows me that you're weak. A real master of the wind should learn from their mistakes…"

The tall, lanky bird walked away from the heroes, but Jet cleared his throat and got his attention.

Turning around, Battle Lord Kukku squinted his eyes in annoyance.

Jet, on the other hand, heavily grinned. "You're forgetting one thing about mistakes, Kukku… you can _make up_ for them… I made a mistake giving up on my friends, my legacy, my passion, and most importantly, _myself_! I may have taken a long time to get here, but better late then never, right?... So, what you're gonna do is… you're gonna go into that storage unit and get my ship or else- "

"Or else, what?" Battle Lord Kukku raised an eyebrow and smiled.

Jet grabbed his Extreme Gear and held it in his arms. "I'll show you why they call us legendary wind masters!" _**(3)**_

Wave and Storm hopped on their boards at the same time as Jet. The three Rogues began to dash around the room, as the battle bird blasted projectiles at them. Sonic and Tails backed away from the arena, wanting the Babylon Rogues to show them who's boss.

The three birds dashed around in a complete circle, creating a tornado of green, violet, and grey energy.

As they increased their speed, the soldiers were pulled off the ground and found themselves caught inside the tornado. Battle Lord Kukku and Speedy grabbed onto a pole on the side; Dr. Fukurokov did the same thing.

Jet, Wave, and Storm circled the perimeter until they stopped, unleashing a huge gust of wind that shot nearly everyone into the air.

One by one, soldiers fell smack against the ground. The Babylon Rogues landed in their original positions.

Sonic and Tails emerged from the shadows and approached the thieves.

"All right!" Sonic cracked his fingers. "Let's do this-"

"Hold it, Sonic," Jet said. "Why don't you and Tails head back to the Tornado? My family and I could take it from here."

"What?" Tails whined. "That's not fair. I wanted a good rematch with this guy!"

"Life ain't fair, Shorty," Wave cackled.

"Not to worry, little bro, you'll get those feather brains back someday," Sonic said, patting Tails on the shoulder. They both ran for the exit. "See ya on the other side, Jet!"

Jet waved the duo goodbye before he and the Rogues went down the hall, penetrating through enemies at super speed.

Speedy helped his father off the ground, as the latter clenched his fists.

" _STOP THEM!_ " he ordered.

"Yes, father!" Speedy saluted. He and the old owl chased the Babylon Rogues.

* * *

After spending minutes to an hour fighting through the Battle Bird Armada's forces, the Babylon Rogues have finally made it to the storage bay.

Inside, there were multiple planes and robots designed by Dr. Fukurokov. But in the very center was the Babylon Rogues' ship itself: The Zeppelin, a large, metallic blimp that was red, yellow, and silver. The birds stopped and looked up at their oversized abode, happy to see that it was still around.

"Finally!" Jet smiled. "There's our beauty!"

"And there's not a scratch on her," Storm added.

"Well, on the exterior," Wave said. "Let's hope the inside doesn't have any damages."

"Ha! Like the Battle Lord would be stupid enough to trash my ship," Jet cackled. "Come on, Rogues, let's skedaddle before- "

Suddenly, a loud thud hindered Jet from returning to his ship. Wave and Storm jumped back a few feet and so did their leader. The three Rogues glanced upward and saw a large black, circle-shaped battle mech standing in front of them. Its arms and legs were the size of a mountain and a sharp drill acted as the mech's nose. On the inside of the cockpit, Dr. Fukurokov laughed maniacally, as he waved his arms around.

He pointed at the heroes below him, as he wrapped his fingers around the levers.

Jet, Wave, and Storm hopped back on their boards and clenched their fists.

"Where do you buzzards think you're going?" the old owl asked with a creepy grin. "This flying base is one of my finest creations! You will not mar its perfection! Stand in awe of the works of the brilliant Dr. Fukurokov!"

"Get Outta my way, Dr. Foo… Foo-Foo…" Jet threatened.

"Coo-Foo-Craw?" Storm rubbed his head.

"Foo-Coo-Clock?" Wave asked.

"W-what!?" the owl gasped. "Are you seriously having a hard time pronouncing my name!? It's not that hard! Mole Mech, attack them!"

The Mole Mech stepped forward and extended its hands towards the ground. With swift agility, the Babylon Rogues drifted out of the way. They flew around the Mole Mech, dodging its punches and kicks.

"Ha!" Jet chuckled. "Sorry, Dr. Foo-Fee, your mech is nothing but…" the Mole Mech grabbed the tip of Jet's gear, causing him to stop in his tracks. The hawk gulped. "Scrap?"

The Mole Mech swung the bird around and chucked him against the ground. Raising its foot, it prepared to step on him until Storm came along and blocked the foot with his massive strength. He struggled to push it back, but it did give Jet some time to escape.

Whipping out his Bashosen, Jet shot a gust of wind at the robot's fist, freeing it from Storm's clutches.

"Thanks, Boss," Storm saluted.

"Don't thank me yet!" Jet warned, as he and the albatross avoided another attack. The robot raised its laser cannons and shot yellow missiles at the two birds. Jet and Storm blocked some of the shots with their boards. Surprisingly, Extreme Gear were durable enough to handle that kind of firepower.

Wave was flying around the mech, when she noticed that Jet and Storm were messing up the gears she made for them.

"Quit wrecking my gear!" Wave snarled. "Just get inside the ship and let's go!"

"If that'll stop your whining!" Jet mumbled. But he thought of another idea. "Wait a second!... Wave, get inside and turn the ship on! Storm and I will cover you!"

"On it!" Wave replied, as she flew towards the Zeppelin's entrance and went inside.

"You will get out of here alive, Babylon Rogues!" Dr. Fukurokov cackled like a maniac. Jet and Storm evaded more projectiles and fought the Mole Mech to the best of their combined abilities. "That ship is ours!"

"Oh, shut up!" Jet slashed the robot's arm with his leafy weapon.

* * *

Inside the Zeppelin, Wave entered the Bridge. She saw that all the controls and the steering wheel were still intact.

" _Yes!_ " she squealed, as she ran over to the controls and tried to locate the start button. "Let's see… if I remember…"

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," said the voice of Speedy, who secretly followed the swallow inside her battleship. Wave slowly lifted her hands up and turned around, facing the green bird in white spandex. Speedy was holding her at gun point with his laser. "Don't… touch… _anything_."

"Shouldn't you be facing off with Jet?" Wave inquired. "I remember you were a huge fan of him when you were a pipsqueak… oh, wait. What am I saying? You're _still_ a pipsqueak."

"Cute, Wave… cute," Speedy said. "I was a fan of Jet back then. I thought he was the coolest guy around, but after he left the armada, that's when I lost all respect for him."

"Are you sure it wasn't the fact he didn't let you join our team?"

Speedy gasped. He turned his head to the side and lowered his laser-holding hand down a bit. He sighed for a bit and recalled when the Babylon Rogues left the Battle Bird Armada. They wanted to be free and roam around on their own, and he wanted to be part of that. But because of his loyalty to his father, he didn't make the cut.

As he became lost in his thoughts, Wave grabbed his arm and flipped him over.

Speedy's back crashed against the carpet.

Wave rushed over to the control panel before Speedy grabbed her leg, pulling her to the floor. Wave kicked the young bird a few times before one final kick forced him to let go. She pulled him off the ground, only to punch him across the face.

Speedy tried to shoot her, but because Wave didn't want any of the controls to get destroyed, she grabbed Speedy's hand and raised it up to the ceiling. Speedy snarled, as he struggled to free himself from the bird's clutches.

Wave pinned him against the wall.

"Let go of me!" Speedy demanded, as he kicked Wave in the chest.

* * *

Jet and Storm swerved around the Mole Mech, as the robot continued to waste its ammo.

Dr. Fukurokov was growing impatient; he pulled on his beard and his eyes were on fire.

He messed around with the console. He was massing buttons, pulling switches, and turning levers. He was really determined to win.

The Mole Mech raised its fist and fired a quick punch. Storm blocked it with his own fist, which hurt his hand.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Storm whined, shaking his wrist. "His hand's like a brick."

Jet swung another wave of wind, which dazed the Mole Mech for a few seconds. Meanwhile, he got a call from Wave. "What's the matter, Wave?"

" _Jet, I'm about the activate the Zeppelin, but you gotta get in here!"_ Wave said. _"We have a Speedy situation!"_

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't just make that joke," Jet said.

" _JUST GET IN HERE!"_

"Storm, let's go!"

Storm nodded and swooped underneath the Mole Mech's legs. He and Jet entered the battleship. _**(3s)**_

* * *

Speedy had Wave pinned down against the control panel. He had her large wrench pressed against her neck, making it hard for the swallow to breath.

As Speedy put all of his weight on top of the weapon, Jet and Storm entered the room and yanked him off of her. Wave pushed herself up and fell on her knees, coughing and gasping for air. Storm got down and patted her back reportingly.

"You okay, Wave?" Storm asked.

Wave coughed. "Yeah… I'm all right… thanks."

Just before he could get up, Speedy found himself being grabbed by Jet, who wrapped his fingers around his scarf and lifted him upward. Speedy tried to break free, but Jet pinned him against the wall.

"Hah! Not so tough without your father now, are you, Squirt?" Jet scoffed.

The green bird said nothing.

"What's the matter, Speedy?" Jet asked with a cackle. "No snarky comments?"

The son of the battle lord had tears in his eyes. A few of them dripped down his beak. Jet and the Rogues noticed this and looked up at the bird. He said one thing… one thing that Jet remembered from back in the day.

"Take me with you."

Jet frowned. He recalled Speedy saying the exact same thing when he first left the armada. Wave and Storm glanced at each other before they looked back at Jet. Their leader was gazing to the side, wondering how to respond to that.

With a quick sigh, Jet replied with a scowl. "Sorry, Squirt… but we have no room for _Battle Birds_ in the Babylon Rogues. You stole my ship and caused me to lose myself… As long as I still stand… _You're never joining the Babylon Rogues._ "

And with that, Storm opened the window and Jet threw Speedy outside.

As he freefell to the ground, Speedy activated his jetpack and flew over to where the Mole Mech was. He looked up at the Zeppelin with tears in his eyes. He wiped them away and turned his back to the ship.

"And to think I admired you." He cried.

Inside the ship, Wave turned the keys and activated the engines. The ship slowly took off into the air and activated its missile launchers. With a few quick blasts, it shot a giant hole in the middle of the fortress. Jet turned the steering wheel inside and made a right turn, slowly leaving the flying fortress.

" _Bah!_ How dare they blow a hole in my ship!?" Dr. Fukurokov ranted. "I will destroy them for this!"

"You'll get your chance, Doc," Speedy snarled softly. "But when we see them again… Jet the Hawk is mine."

* * *

Inside Jet's office, the green hawk was standing on top of his chair with a picture of his father in his hands. Jet hung the painting against the wall and adjusted it correctly. When it was fixed, he wiped his hands and got down from his chair, looking up at his father.

"There you go, Pop," he smiled. "Right where you belong."

Sonic and Tails were admiring the cool stuff Jet had inside his office. Sonic was looking down at the carpet while Tails was in awe over Wave's computer. She was kind enough to show him what it was like since he helped her back on her feet.

"This is truly fascinating," Tails said. He went to touch the digital keyboard, but Wave smacked his hand.

"Look, don't touch." She scoffed. To which, Storm laughed.

"Gotta say, Jet. In all the years I've known you, I never knew you had such a cool-looking ship," Sonic smiled.

"Ha, jealous?" Jet smirked, as he sat down in his chair.

"Maybe," Sonic chuckled.

Jet cracked his fingers and hung his arms over the back of the chair. "So, Sonic… what's this about stealing stuff from Eggman?"

Sonic folded his arms and shook his head. "Grab some popcorn and a drink, Jet. You're in for quite a tale."

* * *

A few hours later. Dr. Eggman was talking with Battle Lord Kukku, who was angry that his ship was stolen again by the Babylon Rogues. The mad doctor showed some concern as he heard the battle lord's outcry.

" _They had the nerve to come into my domain and steal my Zeppelin…_ _ **again!**_ _But the Babylon Rogues weren't alone this time. They had Sonic the Hedgehog and an old enemy of mine, Tails, with them."_

Dr. Eggman pressed his fingers against his chin. "Sonic the Hedgehog working with the Babylon Rogues? How is that so?"

" _I'm not sure, but I'm outraged that they blew a hole in the middle of my battleship!"_ the battle lord resumed his spout. _"If I see those cursed bird again, they're going to regret stealing from me!"_

"Keep calm, Lord Kukku," said Dr. Eggman. "You're part of the Illusionary Legion now, so you'll get another shot at them when I need you too. In the meantime, wait for further instruction."

" _Hmph!... understood, Doctor."_

Hanging up, Dr. Eggman turned his chair to face Infinite, who was eating some yogurt on the table. Orbot and Cubot were next to him with a cup of oil in their hands. The Deadly Six were playing cards.

"I see that you're finally showing some concern," Infinite scolded his boss. "About time."

"That doesn't make any sense," Dr. Eggman stood up and walked around the room, holding the ruby in his hands. "The Babylon Rogues are rivals of Sonic. Sure, they've worked together to save the world a few times, but the Rogues aren't heroes unlike that blue rodent… why would they work for the Secret Strikers? Are they doing it willingly or are they being paid?"

"Something tells me our enemies are up to something, Doctor," Zeena said. "We better keep our eyes peeled."

"Zeena has a point," Zavok nodded in agreement. "Whatever they're up to… it's best we be-"

Metal Sonic came into the room with someone in his hands. The person was chubby and wore a red and yellow jacket with black spandex pants.

"Hey! Get your hands off me!" shouted the man. His voice sounded familiar. Metal slammed the prisoner on the ground, showing him off to his boss. Dr. Eggman, Infinite, and the Deadly Six stood up. They were all curious as to who this intruder was.

Metal pointed to the prisoner. "Doctor… this person was seen trespassing into Metropolis' entrance… you're not gonna believe this."

The Illusionary Legion looked down and shared the same shocked reactions; they gasped at the identity of the prisoner… _**(4)**_

…It was Dr. Robotnik aka Classic Eggman from the Mania Zone.

"No… it can't be!" Dr. Eggman shouted. "That's impossible!"

Dr. Robotnik pulled himself up and brushed off his sleeves. "Metal scoundrel, how dare you harass me like that!? I created you! Don't you know who I-" the doctor stopped his outburst once he set his eyes on the Phantom Ruby. "Ah-ha! There it is! You took it! Give me back that ruby!"

Zavok and Zomom grabbed the fat man and held him back. The latter struggled to get past the Zeti.

Infinite was shocked by this because he knew this theory about multiple dimensions merging into Mobius Prime was correct. Dr. Eggman, while he too was amazed, stepped forward and grew a large smile on his face.

"Dr. Eggman from the Past," he greeted. "How are you? It's been quite some time."

"Shut your trap hole!" Dr. Robotnik snarled. "Let me go!"

"You don't remember me? We built the Time Eater together and we were stuck in that white limbo for a while… I'm gonna dedicate the rest of my life forgetting how we got out of there."

"You act like I know you, but I do not! Give me back my Phantom Ruby!"

" _Your_ Phantom Ruby? _I_ discovered this _first!_ "

"That's a lie, I used it to conquer my world! But that blasted hedgehog sent it here to this dimension!"

"Dimension?"

"This is what I was talking about," Infinite said, standing in front of the doctor. "The Phantom Ruby's power is affecting multiple dimensions. It brought him here to our world, which shouldn't be! If our world continues to suffer like this, who knows what will happen!?"

Dr. Eggman ignored the jackal's plea and focused on his dimensional counterpart. "Wait, so you're from another dimension and you used the Phantom Ruby? How is that possible? Where did you get it?"

Dr. Robotnik replied. "In my universe, there was a dimensional breach coming from Angel Island, so I sent some Egg Robos to investigate. They brought it back to me and I experimented with it, figuring out that it has the ability to warp time and space. Its power… it's far more greater than the Chaos Emeralds."

"So, I've realized," said Dr. Eggman. "This nifty little trinket has helped me achieve my goal: ruling Mobius with an iron fist."

Dr. Robotnik gasped. "Wait… you conquered this world?"

"For six months… unfortunately, a resistance called the Secret Strikers have been foiling my plots as of late. They're like something on your shoe that you can't wipe off!... unless you help me get rid of them."

"H-huh?"

"Think about it, Doctor… what if you and I worked together to crush the resistance? You and I have had experience with this gemstone, so we might as well combine our knowledge together and use it to rule this world as a team!"

"Now, hold on just a minute. I don't know anything about these Secret Slicers or whatever they're called. I just came to get _that_ back!"

Dr. Eggman knew Robotnik would be a tough nut to crack, so he decided to make a proposition to his classic counterpart. "If you join my side, I can promise you will be the one to destroy _your_ Sonic once and for all," he grinned. "You'll be able to use the power of the Phantom Ruby to create your own army. Our intelligence combined will be more than enough to rid the world of those meddlesome Secret Strikers forever! I know you can't pass up an opportunity like that."

"You're kidding when you say this, right?" Infinite inquired.

"Quiet, toast lover! I want to hear what my counterpart has to say."

The two Zeti released Dr. Robotnik, as he made his decision. He knew that his world's Sonic was sucked into the portal was probably lurking around this dimension with the Secret Strikers. He wanted to make him pay for causing the Phantom Ruby to fall out of his hands like that in the first place, so he figured that rejecting this offer would be stupid of him.

He held out his hand. "I accept your proposition, Dr. Eggman. And please, call me Dr. Robotnik."

"Pleasure to be doing business with you, Dr. Robotnik," Dr. Eggman smiled, as he shook the doctor's hand.

The Deadly Six shared worried looks at each other when the saw the handshake.

Metal Sonic shared the same thoughts.

And Infinite… he was mad.

"Doctor, this is outrageous!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Our world is on the brink of disaster thanks to this interdimensional crisis! Our oceans will boil, our islands will sink, and our sky will fall!"

"Calm yourself this instant, Infinite!" Dr. Eggman lashed out at the jackal. "I've had enough of this nonsense!" He held the Phantom Ruby with the tight grip, and it started to glow.

Infinite's ruby did the same thing and it started to hurt him. He dropped to his knees and clenched to his chest. Dr. Eggman kept this up for a few seconds until he stopped.

Zeena and Zazz helped Infinite on his feet.

"Now… come, Robotnik… let us plan our attack." Dr. Eggman said. He and Dr. Robotnik exited the room, leaving Infinite to become more skeptical of the doctor's motives.

Now that two Eggmans were on the same team, he knew trouble was brewing.

"Tempest… Pierce… Lance… Jay… I have a feeling you guys might have been right about him," he said to himself. "But… Sonic needs to be eliminated, and Eggman's the only chance I have of getting revenge. Watch yourself, Sonic the Hedgehog… you will kneel before my power."

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 18**_

* * *

 _SURPRISE! Bet you guys didn't expect Dr. Robotnik to show up here, huh? If you all remember back in Chapter 4, he was sucked in the multiverse portal along with Lil' Blue and the Phantom Ruby. I wasn't going to forget about him. Anyways, the Babylon Rogues are on board to help the Secret Strikers. Now, all they need to do is start hunting for pieces and build Tails' multiverse portal. See how this epic quest in starts in...  
_

 _"Chapter 19: Arsenal Breakout!"_

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _If you're an old school Sonic fan and played Tails' Adventure or read the Archie Comics adaptation, then you would know that the Battle Bird Armada were the bad guys Tails fought by himself. Well, in the comic book, Antoine and Bunnie helped him out, but he really did all the work. For the Babylon Rogues' backstory, I decided to make like their Pre-SGW origin, where they were all employed by Battle Lord Kukku. I do like that kind of origin for the Rogues; it adds more to their personalities._

 _When I saw Classic Sonic in the very first Sonic Forces reveal, I thought Classic Eggman was gonna be there too. Of course, I was wrong. I was okay with Classic Eggman not being in the game, but I would've liked to see more of him and Modern Eggman interacting._

 _Tikal has been revealed in this chapter. Don't worry, she'll be saved. ;)_

 _Don't forget to vote on the poll regarding the Multiverse Travel Saga. I would like to know your input._

 _And as always, don't forget to R &R! Thanks for taking the time to read. I'm the Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you all next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	19. Arsenal Breakout!

_**A/N:** Sorry, Guest that's been trash talking this story for quite some time now, but I'm not going anywhere. If you don't like this story, move along. TGN, Infinite's Ruby, other Sonic Forces writers, and I know you're just a hater who wants nothing but attention. But we know better than to play your little game. With that said, everyone. Welcome back to Sonic Heroes: The Atom Bomb! Sorry, it's been a while. Things have been crazy on my side. But on the plus side, Sonic Heroes: The Atom Bomb now has **100 reviews!** Thank you all so much for the love and support you've shown! Let's not waste much time, shall we? _

_Last time: Sonic and Tails recruited the Babylon Rogues for their multiverse mission. Now, they head back to Angel Island with the first part of their mission in mind. Let's see how that goes._

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Arsenal Pyramid (Exterior) - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(2) Double Boost! - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(3) The Deadly Six Orchestral Theme - Sonic Lost World OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **Arsenal Breakout!**

A few good hours of rest felt great for Sonic and Tails. They returned to Launch Base Zone after recruiting the Babylon Rogues to the Secret Strikers.

At first, everyone was skeptical that three legendary thieves were joining their team, but Sonic promised them that he, Tails, and Knuckles will watch over them. That sort of put everyone at ease, but they listened to the blue blur's words.

It was nighttime on Angel Island, and Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were explaining their plan to activate the Super Emeralds to the Babylon Rogues. Sonic told Jet this story in the Zeppelin, but he didn't go into full detail.

Lil' Blue, Team Chaotix, Silver, Blaze, Clay, Skylar, Emma, and Buster listened to the conversation.

Everyone else was sleeping.

Tails finished explaining and that was when Wave slammed her hands on top of the desk, which spooked Silver.

" _Are you insane!?_ " the swallow shouted at the top of her lungs. She also startled Jet and Storm. "You want to travel across the multiverse!?"

"You make this sound like it's a bad thing," Sonic said in a stern tone, as he raised an eyebrow.

"This _is_ a bad thing!" Wave retorted. "Do you know how reckless you're being!? There's a possibility you could screw up the stability of multiple dimensions! You can't risk this!"

"The multiverse is already a mess as it is, Wave," Tails said. "Believe me, I think this is a dangerous mission too, but it's the only way we can save the world."

"He's right," Lil' Blue nodded. The Rouges pointed their eyes at him. "The Chaos Emeralds aren't powerful enough against the Phantom Ruby, so we believe using the Super Emeralds will boost our chances of winning."

Jet snickered at the short blue hedgehog. "You know, for a second, I thought you were a toddler."

Storm laughed. "I think he needs his diaper changed."

"Call me a toddler again, parrot," Lil' Blue snarled. "I _dare_ you."

Amy motioned to the blue hedgehog, telling him to relax.

Wave continued talking, "If you do this, how do you know it won't end like last time?"

"We're taking our chances," Amy replied.

Jet fell silent for a minute. Pressing his hands together, he thought about his decision. He was not one to go out and save the world nor was he one with the desire to conquer it. Scratching his beak, he turned his eyes to the Secret Strikers; they were glancing at each other before they looked back at him.

Storm rubbed his head, as he didn't understand what was taking his boss so long to decide.

Wave prayed that Jet made the smart decision; reject the idea.

Sonic and Amy exchanged a glance before they aimed their eyes at Tails and Knuckles.

Jet finally asked, "If we steal the supplies you need… what's in it for us?"

Knuckles flew his arms up and growled. "I knew it! It's always something with these guys! Why should we give you something in return?"

"Look, as much as I'd love for this world to _not_ be ruled by that fat jerk wagon," Jet replied. "I still live by my policy: we take no work without pay."

"You get nothing!" Knuckles slammed his fist against the desk. "How about that!?"

"Hold on a second, Knux," Sonic said, pressing a hand against his chin. "It depends… Whatcha want, Jet?"

The hawk was surprised; he didn't think his rival would play along with this. "Um… " he cleared his throat before giving his response. "When this is all over… I want the seven Chaos Emeralds."

" _WHAT!?_ " shouted everyone, except Sonic and Tails.

"You're out your minds, pigeons!?" Charmy said.

"Can we stop with the bird jokes? They're getting old," Storm asked.

"No way we're giving you the emeralds!" Silver pointed at the birds. "You'll just sell them on the open market!"

"Finally," said Jet. "I'm glad _somebody's_ paying attention."

"No! The answer is no! There's no way we're gonna let you-" Knuckles shouted, but Sonic and Tails cut him off in the middle of his sentence.

"Fine," said both brothers.

Knuckles turned to them. "What?"

"You can't be serious," Silver added.

"We'll give you the emeralds once we've saved the world, Jet," said Sonic, as he shot a wink and a grin at Tails; the kit returned the same gesture.

The Babylon Rogues were confused.

"Figured you'd fight it, Sonic," said Jet. "But hey, I won't complain. So, what stuff did you need from Eggman's factories?"

Tails pressed his hands together and pointed out, "There are three key components I need for my dimension machine. There's a nuclear-powered generator in the Arsenal Pyramid, a few chemical capsules from the Mystic Jungle, and a Warp Ring which is located in a science museum at Freedom Heights for some reason."

"Doesn't sound like a challenge the Boss can't handle. Right, Boss?" Storm asked.

"This should be worth getting the Chaos Emeralds," Jet smirked.

Knuckles grunted again and rolled his eyes. "All right, team, listen up. Not only do we need to get Tails' supplies, but we also need to save Tikal, who's being held captive by Eggman. To cover more ground, we're going to split into teams. Tails, Lil' Blue, Amy, Babylon Rogues, you guys are on Team Sonic. The rest of you guys are with me."

Sonic raised his hand. "Hold on a second, Knux. Would you mind if I took Clay with me? I promised him I'd teach him a thing or two."

Clay widened his eyes when he heard what Sonic said. He smiled and started geeking out. "R-really!? You're taking me with you! This is a dream come true!"

And in that same moment, he started monologuing. "The Mighty Clay has been chosen by Sonic the Hedgehog himself to be a true hero. They must go on an epic journey to help Tails build his dimension machine. The Mighty Clay shall summon every ounce of his power to save the da-"

Sonic cringed at the monologue and put a stop to it by placing a hand on the rabbit's shoulder. "Whoa, hold on a second, Clay… what… what are you doing?"

Clay paused. "Oh… this is what I do. You see, since I'm a powerful superhero, I monologue all of my adventures."

Skylar and Emma rolled their eyes; Buster chuckled.

Sonic shook his head as well as his finger. "Clay, listen to me, buddy. Never monologue during a mission unless you're either Knuckles or Shadow."

" _HEY!_ " snarled the echidna.

"It also makes you look like you're full of yourself," Sonic added with a smile. "Believe me, I'm well aware I can be full of myself because of how heroic, fast, and way past cool I am. But you, my friend, take that to a whole new level of weird. So, Hero Lesson #1: Never Monologue."

Skylar waved her hands. " _THANK YOU!_ " she spat.

Clay rubbed his head and turned back to his friends. What was he thinking? He was complaining before that he was treating his friends horribly with his narcissism, and so he monologues again? He shook his head and cringed to himself. _Come on, man! What are you doing?_

The rabbit rubbed his eyes and said, "Sorry, Sonic. I'll try not to do it again…

"Hey, no sweat, dude."

"C-can I take my friends on the mission too?"

Skylar, Emma, and Buster raised their eyebrows and exchanged surprised glances.

"Sure," Knuckles replied. "I can take Dakota and his team with me tomorrow."

"Sweet!" Clay smiled. He and Sonic fist-bumped before the rabbit high-fived all his friends. Skylar smiled and blushed, as she felt flattered that Clay wanted her to tag along.

"Get some rest, everyone," said Knuckles. "We have a busy day tomorrow."

The Secret Strikers nodded in agreement and rushed off to bed. As Sonic stretched his arms and yawned, he looked to the side and noticed that Lil' Blue was sitting by himself. His back was leaning against a few crates and his arms were folded. He started rubbing his eyes.

Sonic approached his dimensional counterpart and placed his hand on the top box.

"Hey, dude," he said with a grin. Lil' Blue turned to him and made the same gesture. "You and I haven't talked since I came back, huh?"

"Only briefly," Lil' Blue replied with a low sigh. "What's up?"

"You talked to Tails at all?"

"Not really. I wanted to, but after what I said this morning… I don't think he wants to speak to me. Heck, I don't even think he wants to see me."

Sonic folded his arms. "Listen, dude. You can't just keep sitting here feeling sorry that you insulted Tails. He's not gonna warm up to you unless you tell him what's going on. Believe me, as much as I think what you said two days ago was awful, I can understand why you lashed out… you went through a lot these past few days."

"That's exactly what Amy said to me," Lil' Blue replied with a short smile. "You know, I'm normally not this big of a jerk in my universe. All I do is tease my friends, it's what I do. I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings… well, except Eggman of course… I worry about what my world's Tails, Knuckles, and Rosy are up to now… I hope they're okay."

"Have faith, little buddy. I'm sure they're okay and I'm positive they're worried about you too… I'm sure if you told this to my Tails, he would start to warm up to you, don't ya think?"

Lil' Blue turned to the side before he nodded. He aimed his eyes back at the older hedgehog and smiled. "Yeah… I'll start on that tomorrow… I'll try not to act so impulsively around him again."

"Well, you're a younger Sonic, so it makes sense you're so impulsive. Come on, what are you? Like ten? Eleven? Twelve?"

"I'm fifteen."

Sonic stood in an awkward stance. He didn't know how to reply to that. Lil' Blue was around the same size as Charmy, how could be fifteen years old? Sonic didn't know the answer to that.

He yawned. "Wow, look at this, Lil' Blue. It's so late, I gotta catch some Zs. See ya later."

Sonic left the uncomfortable moment in a flash, leaving Lil' Blue to talk in his thoughts. _Will I really get this stupid in the future?_

* * *

The next day, Knuckles and the rest of the Secret Strikers set course for the Mystic Jungle, where they hoped to rescue Tikal from the clutches of the Illusionary Legion. Meanwhile, Sonic and his team assembled and made their way to the Arsenal Pyramid's location: Green Hill Zone.

Thanks to the instability of the multiverse, Green Hill's size not only increased tremendously but there was something that definitely distracted Clay, Skylar, Emma, and Buster.

Half of the zone was covered in sand.

All of the waterfalls have now become sand falls and the area has been replaced with scorching sand. If one looked clearly, they would see giant blue worms normally found on the Lost Hex slithering around in the distance. Chomping their teeth, the worms hoped to catch whoever was dumb enough to step foot in the sand. Buster gulped and felt his tail drop to the ground, whereas Skylar and Emma analyzed the worms with their binoculars.

Clay stood alongside Sonic, Tails, Lil' Blue, and the Babylon Rogues.

"Green Hill's starting to look like Sand Hill," Sonic commented.

"This must be because of the multiverse collapse," Tails added. "Zonic wasn't kidding when he said the fate of the world lies in our hands. We gotta stop Eggman before he destroys everything."

"Wow, who would have thought a small ruby could do all this damage?" Wave rubbed her head.

"I know the world's fate has never concerned me," Jet said. "But even I have to admit, this is jacked up."

"I hope we're not in over our heads, Boss," Storm gulped. "This is more serious than I thought."

"Cool your pits, Storm," Sonic nodded with a smirk. "Once we activate the Super Emeralds again, Eggman's Empire can kiss itself goodbye."

"Speaking of which," Skylar pointed in the distance. "Look what I found over there."

The rest of Sonic's team strolled towards the blue bear and saw what she pointed at.

Not too far from the actual Arsenal Pyramid, which was a massive, silver factory, was a prison camp. Skylar handed Tails the binoculars and he looked through them. The fox was shocked by the number of Mobians and humans forced into slavery; they were building robot parts from scratch as well as machine parts for some of Eggman's sentinels: The Egg Behemoths.

One of those prisoners was Mina's boyfriend, Ash Mongoose.

"There's Mina's boyfriend," Sonic nodded. "I promised her I'd get him back."

"And we will," Tails replied. He continued looking around before he gasped; he recognized three prisoners. "No way… that can't be… are you serious?"

Cream the Rabbit, Vanilla the Rabbit, and Big the Cat were put to work.

Cheese, Chocola, and Froggy did the same thing.

"Cream… Vanilla… Big," Tails said nervously. "They didn't make it."

"That's okay," Sonic cracked his fingers. "We're gonna rescue them."

"Yeah, but… I should have been there to save them. They don't deserve this."

"Tails, you and the Strikers were busy trying to save me. And that's not your fault. Now that I'm back, we can save them and bring them back to Angel Island."

Looking up at his brother, the kitsune smiled and gave a fist bump. "Yeah… right."

"Looking at Cream, it makes me wonder… where's Gemerl? He's usually by her side."

"Knowing Eggman, he either located him somewhere else or he reprogrammed him. I'm hoping it's not the latter."

"Wherever he is, I'm sure he'll turn up soon."

Twirling his hammer, Clay approached the ledge and struck a superhero pose. "Let's go save those guys down there. The Mighty Clay hungers for justice."

Skylar rolled her eyes.

"I'm with Clay," Sonic answered with a thumbs up. "Let's go!"

"Hold on, guys," Tails halted both Freedom Fighters. "We need to stick to the plan. Sonic, I need you and the others to steal the generator I need from the pyramid. I'm gonna go save all the captives."

"You're not doing that alone," Lil' Blue gently punched the fox's arm. To which, Tails gave him a dirty look. "I'm coming with you."

"Why? So you can tell me I'm doing everything wrong?"

"Easy there, Tails," Sonic patted his best friend's back. "He just wants to help."

"I don't need his help. I can do this alone."

Sonic stroked his chin, thinking of his next response. He saw the saddened look on his counterpart's face before he said, "Not that I'm doubting your abilities, buddy. But there are a _lot_ of Badniks down there. That's gonna be too much for you to take down by yourself. Why don't you take Lil' Blue with you just in case things get wild."

The fox looked at the young hedgehog before he turned to his brother. With a low sigh, he replied, "Fine… Lil' Blue can come."

Standing up, Tails whipped out his Arm Cannon and turned to the right. "Lil' Blue and I will sneak off to the right, they won't be able to spot us from there. The rest of you know what you're doing, right?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good luck, guys."

"You too, little bro." Sonic nodded.

In an instant, Tails fluttered his twin tails and took off down the slope. But before Lil' Blue and follow, he turned to his older self and nodded. "I'll make things right with him, dude… I promise."

"I know you will."

Lil' Blue chased after the fox.

Looking at the pyramid, Sonic stood alongside Clay, Emma, Buster, and Skylar.

Putting on his goggles, Jet hopped onto his Extreme Gear. His teammates followed in his footsteps.

"Rogues, you know what to do, right?" Sonic winked.

"Leave em' in the dust," Jet nodded. "Got it."

"This is gonna be so awesome," Buster whispered to Clay. To which, the rabbit nodded.

The blue hedgehog pointed onward. "Let's do it to it, everyone! _Charge!_ " _**(1)**_

With that, Sonic and the Rookies of Term Feral Strike leaped over the hill and ran down the mountain. The cool breeze brushed against them and the sun shined down upon them. Clay ran closer to the blue hedgehog, gushing at how fast he can go. Skylar and Emma readied their weapons while Buster made sure not to lose his hat. The Babylon Rogues swerved their hoverboards to the right and ended up in the factory portion of Green Hill Zone.

The area was filled with nothing but machinery. Egg Pawns and Egg Robos escorted crates full of supplies back and forth, unaware of what was about to hit them. Jet whipped out his leaf-like weapons (also called Bashosen) while Wave unleashed a massive wrench. Since Storm preferred to use his brute strength, he clapped his fists together and charged towards an army of robots.

With quick jabs, three uppercuts, and a punch, Storm bypassed through the army of Egg Pawns with ease. A group of Buzz Bombers came down from above and shot massive projectiles at the three birds. Jet and Wave shifted left and right before they effortlessly dealt with their enemies. The Babylon Rogues turned to the side, watching Sonic and the Rookies join them in the fight.

Using his Asteroid Wispon, Buster barked at the Egg Pawns and fired chunks of cubes at them. Next to him, Sonic and Clay marched ahead and worked together. In other words, Clay swung his hammer back and whacked the Blue Blur like a baseball, shooting him into multiple Egg Pawns and Buzz Bombers. Skylar, with her Hover Wispon, shot multiple enemies away and Emma slashed her Lightning whip up and down, decimating enemies with ease.

The hedgehog and the rabbit jumped on top of a platform and ran down the pathway when they came across a narrow bridge. Clay grabbed onto Sonic's hand and shot a wire at a nearby pole, drifting across the bridge.

Skylar, Emma, and Buster simply swung over it.

Clay and Sonic leaped over a pile of sand before they landed on a metal platform.

All of the heroes continued running down the pathway.

"Jet, you know what to do," Sonic winked.

Jet and his teammate turned to the right and made their way towards the pyramid.

As they got closer, Wave pulled up next to her leader, wanting to ask him a question. "Jet, are we really doing this? Multiverse travel isn't possible!"

"Relax, Wave," Jet chuckled. "We're not going with them to the multiverse. We'll sit back and wait for them to collect the Chaos Emeralds for us. Our job is easy."

The swallow rolled her eyes, as the Babylon Rogues entered the pyramid.

Sonic and Rookies blazed through an army of robots, approaching the pyramid's entrance.

"Skylar, Emma, Buster," Sonic called. "You guys swing in through the top. Clay and I will catch up!"

The three Rookies did what they were told and shot their grappling wires forward. Leaping away from the platform, they shot at nearby enemies while swinging towards the pyramid. Sonic and Clay were left alone, giving the blue hedgehog a chance to hold out his hand.

"Hey, Clay. Take my hand and hold on tight. I wanna show you something cool!"

"O-okay," Clay raised an eyebrow, as he took the hedgehog's hand. "So, what can you teach The Mighty Clay, are we gonna do something cool-"

" _ **DOUBLE BOOST!**_ " _**(1s) (2)**_

"Wait, what?"

 _ **ZOOM!**_

In the blink of an eye, Sonic the Hedgehog took off at the speed of light with Clay the Rabbit in his hands. The poor rabbit held on for dear life and his legs were moving faster than they're supposed to. He looked in front of him and saw nothing but a grey and blue aura in his line of vision. He couldn't make out where he was. He heard small explosions, but he didn't know what caused them. Sonic knew what was happening since he's done this multiple times. Speaking of which, he was laughing and shouting loud battle cries into the air, making sure the Eggman Empire could hear him.

Along with his outcries, Clay screamed at the top of his lungs. His mask was about to fall off his face and his goggles were close to flying off his head. He gripped his hammer with an iron grasp, praying to the Mobian Gods above that he doesn't fly out of Sonic's hands and die.

The two of them boosted up the pyramid itself, running over enemies like nothing.

Skylar, Emma, and Buster watched as the two got closer to the top.

"That's so awesome!" Buster laughed. "Go, Clay!"

"Better him than me," Skylar chuckled.

"I wish I could hold Sonic's hand," Emma smiled.

Sonic and Clay broke away from their double boost and shot into the air. They met up with the other Rookies, as they free-fell into the pyramid.

The only obstacles that stood in their way were a series of laser beams forming different shapes.

As they dodged the lasers, Sonic tapped his wrist communicator.

"Yo, Ames," he said. "The Rookies, Babylon Rogues, and I are inside the pyramid," he said. "We're getting close to that generator Tails needs."

" _Excellent!"_ Amy smiled. _"The Secret Strikers and I are going to rescue Tikal. Let me know how things go. Stay alert!"_

"Ha, this should be fun."

Clay felt sick to his stomach. "Fun for you, but not fun for me." _**(2s)**_

* * *

Deep within the Arsenal Pyramid, Dr. Eggman's right-hand man, Infinite sat alone in front of the security system, looking through the footage to see if any chaos was going on. Originally, he was supposed to be with the troops in Luminous Forest, but he refused, claiming that he wanted to watch over the Arsenal Pyramid instead. But if he were to be honest, he didn't care about watching over the pyramid, he just wanted to think about what was happening.

Not too long ago, another Eggman from the Mania Zone aka Dr. Robotnik was captured by the Deadly Six and Metal Sonic. Infinite said that an Eggman from a parallel dimension could be a problem because of the multiversal crisis that's affecting the world. But of course, Dr. Eggman brushed his lackey's words to the side and suggested a team-up to Dr. Robotnik.

"What was he thinking?" Infinite snarled. "He brings another Robotnik on the team without thinking of the consequences? How could he do such a thing? Does he not know what's going to happen? I thought Dr. Eggman was smarter than this!"

As the masked jackal unleashed his anger, he rubbed his face. With a low sigh, he heard a strange voice speak to him through his mind.

" _Gotta say, Zero… you did pretty well on that dimensional test."  
_

" _Are you sure? I don't think I did so good."_

" _Nonsense! You did great! Soon, you'll be one of the best Zone Cops the No Zone has ever seen."_

Infinite stopped rubbing his face and stared into the distance, thinking about the conversation that played in his mind.

Looking down at the Phantom Ruby on his chest, he gave it a gentle tap and released a low sigh.

Before he could say anything else, he was approached by Zavok.

"Afternoon, Infinite," the Zeti greeted, folding his arms. "Any word from Dr. Eggman?"

"Nothing yet," Infinite replied. "Tell me something, Zavok. Dr. Eggman attempted to enslave you and your kind years ago, didn't he?"

The red monster nodded.

"Why do you work for Dr. Eggman now?" the jackal inquired. "He's nothing but a clueless madman who wants nothing but power."

"I could care less about this world domination stuff," Zavok replied. "Well, for now at least. Once I end the life of that blue nuisance, Sonic, I'll control Eggman's army and steal the Phantom Ruby from him. That ruby is the only reason I came here in the first place. Once I steal it, I'll show Sonic my full strength."

"You mean after you steal the Phantom Ruby from _them_."

"Pardon?"

"Dr. Eggman has found a new ally within Dr. Robotnik. He didn't even consult with me. I thought we were working together, but he preferred to hog the spotlight himself. Even after I killed Sonic."

"Technically, it was Eggman that did it. His Atom Bomb demolished the hedgehog."

"Yes, but if he wasn't so addicted to that Phantom Ruby he has, then I could've ended Sonic's life for good!... but to Eggman, I'm nothing but a lackey."

"Join the club, we're all lackeys around here. But we won't be for long."

"Right… right."

The conversation ended once the alarm went off.

Infinite typed on the computer and loaded up images of Sonic and Rookies bypassing through the defenses while the Babylon Rogues make their way towards the generator room. The rest of the Deadly Six joined the other villains.

"It seems that the blue fool has come to die," Master Zik chuckled.

"Finally, I am sick of waiting," Zeena moaned.

"Let's rip that hedgehog up for good!" Zazz cackled.

"After that, can we grab a late lunch?" Zomom rubbed his head.

"Oh, boy," Zor groaned. "Sonic's here. Let's all celebrate with rainbows, flowers, and other things that make me want to die."

"Deadly Six," Zavok said, turning to his team. "I have missions for you. Zeena, Zazz, Zomom, go after the birds. The rest of us will deal with-"

"Wait," Infinite stood on his feet. "I have a better idea."

The Deadly Six sat and listened.

"Zavok, Zazz, Zomon… come with me and we'll deal with Sonic and his band of rookies," Infinite snarled. "The rest of you can have the Babylon Rogues."

Zavok looked at his team before he nodded. "Works for me."

Infinite and the Deadly Six marched out of the room.

* * *

Sonic and the Rookies blasted through a horde of enemies before they found themselves on a pathway of large gears. There was a set of platforms that rotated and lead to the other side of the factory. Of course, the Babylon Rogues flew by with ease, but the others had to manually jump from platform to platform, almost as if they were playing a real-life video game level.

In an instant, hordes of enemies came by and attempted to shoot the Secret Strikers, but Sonic and Clay dealt with the enemies effortlessly.

Skylar was tired of dealing with the same repetitive robots, so she casually blasted them away with her Hover Wispon.

To keep everyone entertained, Clay monologued… again.

"The Mighty Clay and his team of fierce warriors enter the Arsenal Pyramid with Sonic the Hedgehog and the Babylon Rogues. The Rogues are looking for a generator needed for Tails' multiverse portal while the rest of us provide a distraction. I swing my hammer like a mighty warrior, blowing armies of faceless bad guys away from the crowd. I turn to my partners and I say-"

"Clay, shut up!" Skylar mumbled.

"Skylar says to me because she never liked the fact I monologue. I say to her," Clay continued. "Skylar, just admit that you can't handle my handsome body!"

"What I can't handle is the sound of _your_ voice!"

"Clay," Sonic spoke up. "What did I teach you about monologuing? It's a distraction for you, making you not pay attention!"

 _ **WHACK!**_

Sonic was suddenly whacked by a giant fist. "Like that!"

Falling on the ground, the blue hedgehog jumped up on his feet and felt the Rookies pull him up. Buster gulped and pointed to what was in front of him…

…Infinite, Zavok, Zazz, and Zomom.

"Well, look who decided to join the party," Sonic smiled, wiping his nose. "You know, Infinite, you've been making quite a mess around here. One that involves the entire multiverse."

"This is not _my_ doing," Infinite clenched his fist. "This was Eggman's doing. He's reckless! He doesn't know what this will do to his empire."

"Wow, I didn't know you and I were on the same page. Let's continue that by having you surrender the source of your power to the Secret Strikers."

"Please, Sonic. We both know _that_ won't happen. I still hold a grudge against you."

"And what exactly did _I_ do?" Sonic teased.

"It's not just you that I have a grudge against, it's _all_ Sonics I have a grudge against."

The blue hedgehog widened his eyes. "Wait, what?"

"Tell me, Sonic… does the name, _Zonic the Zone Cop_ ring a bell?"

* * *

Elsewhere, Team Babylon kicked down the door to the generator room and flew around, looking for the exact generator that Tails needs for his portal.

"Let me know if you see the generator, Rogues," Jet called out. "I don't know how much time we have, so make it fast!"

Wave and Storm searched the room until the latter found something behind a large pile of garbage. "I found something, Boss!"

The albatross jumped off of his Extreme Gear and ran towards the junk pile. He dove into it and searched for the part he saw. Wave and Jet leaped off of their hoverboards and watched Storm dig around as if he were a raccoon looking for trash, a sea-creature looking for a formula to a treasured food, or a lion cub looking for his lost father.

"Storm, that's disgusting," Wave snarled. "We better hope Knuckles has showers on that island of his!"

"Why does it matter?" Jet inquired. "Storm doesn't take showers anyway."

"I found it!" Storm came out of the trash pile with scraps on his feathers and a banana peel on his head. In his hand was a regular-sized machine that was black and silver. In the middle was a blue energy core. He handed it to Wave and she carried it in her arms.

"This is the generator Shorty's looking for?" Wave asked. "I thought the kid was supposed to be smart. This looks like junk!"

"Maybe he wants you to help him fix it up," Jet shrugged.

"Or maybe he doesn't know what he's doing at all," Storm chuckled.

"No more time for chit chat, Rogues," Jet said. "Let's get out of here before-"

 _ **THWACK! (3)**_

All three hoverboards smacked the birds across their faces. They landed on the ground, dropping the generator.

"Something bad happens," Jet finished his sentence.

The thieves glanced upward and saw that their Extreme Gears were controlled by Master Zik, Zeena, and Zor.

"Ah, great, I've heard of these guys," Wave hissed. "They can control machinery."

"Hey, who's that cute green girl with them?" Storm smiled. His pupils turned into hearts.

"Hey, grandpa!" Jet snarled at Master Zik, whipping out his Bashosen. "Give me back my Gear!"

"Grandpa?" Master Zik chuckled at the childish remark. "It seems that you need a lesson in respect, young lad. A very _painful_ lesson."

"Oh, someone's gonna get taken to school all right! Rogues, get him!"

The Babylon Rogues, without hesitation, jumped forward with their weapons in hand. They thought that since they were fast, they could land quick shots on the Zeti, but they clearly underestimated their enemies. Zeena, Zor, and Master Zik moved to the side in sync, dodging the Rogues' attacks. Wave swatted her wrench forward as fast as possible, trying to land a shot on Zor. But no matter how fast she was, she missed every shot.

"Hold still, you midget!" Wave snarled.

"Midget? That word almost makes me laugh," Zor kicked Wave's face. "I'll give you some credit for making me smile… just a little bit."

Storm was left with Zeena, but instead of fighting, all he did was flirt with her.

"Hey, babe," he greeted. "How about we head out of here and go see a movie?"

Zeena chuckled before she suddenly summoned a giant wrecking ball. "I got a good movie suggestion. It's called Love _HURTS!_ "

She whacked Storm up the chin with her weapon.

"Ouch!" Storm bellowed. "Never heard of that movie!"

Master Zik simply whacked Jet's chest with his cane and kicked him in the chest, knocking him into the other Rogues. But Jet jumped back up and clapped his twin Bashosen together. A large gust of wind shot out of the green leaves and blew the Zeti a few feet away. From there, Jet grabbed his Extreme Gear and boosted towards the three Zeti. Launching an armada of slashes and kicks, Jet shot the three Zeti into the air and kicked them down with a heavy attack.

Jet landed beside Master Zik, sneering down at him.

The hawk cackled. "Let's you see beat that, old man."

Master Zik struggled to get up. "A worthy opponent is what you are. You may have speed as your advantage…"

Jet heard Wave and Storm gasp from the side. He glanced over and his eyes popped out of his sockets…

…Wave and Storm were held down by Zor and Zeena. And to make matters worse, they were surrounded by an army of Badniks.

Master Zik concluded his sentence. "But _I_ have your friends."

Jet the Hawk watched the army of Badniks surround his friends before he was suddenly whacked by Master Zik. Pinned down, the tiny Zeti stepped on the hawk's chest and held his staff against his throat.

"Tell me, Legendary Wind Master… what do you plan to do now?" _**(3s)**_

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 19**_

* * *

 _Uh, oh! Looks like Jet's in a bit of a pickle! Not only is he pinned down by Master Zik, but the rest of the Rogues are trapped as well. This isn't looking good! Speaking of not looking good, Infinite mentioned Zonic the Zone Cop. What could this mean? Could Infinite be from another dimension and not Mobius Prime? And what did he mean by having a grudge against all Sonics in the multiverse? I guess we'll have to find out as the story continues. Find out what happens to our heroes, as we go into..._

 _"Chapter 20: We Are The Eggmen"._

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _There is a Spongebob reference and a Lion King reference in there. It's right where Storm goes through the trash pile._

 _I don't plan to do an Episode: Shadow for this story, nor do I have the intention of putting Infinite in Luminous Forest. You'll see what I plan to do with the Mystic Jungle segment once I get to it._

 _Jet and the Rogues fighting Master Zik is a reference to how IDW Sonic Issue #26 ended. I am excited to see how Issue #27 handles that ending. I hope Jet works up the courage to save his friends, just like he'll do here._

 _That's all I have to say, ladies and gentlemen. Sorry this took so long once again. Thank you for reading and don't forget to R &R! I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you all next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	20. We Are The Eggmen

_**A/N:** Hello, everyone! I have some good news and I got some bad news. The bad news is, I have a whopping headache at the moment. No, I don't think I have the coronavirus considering I do not have any problems with breathing. I just have a headache. The good news it, we're **20 chapters** into Sonic Heroes: The Atom Bomb (the fourth and final version of my attempted Sonic Forces rewrite). Thanks to everyone who has been here from the start or is just joining us! Last time, Infinite made an interesting remark about the No Zone as well as his origin. Let's see what happens with that, shall we?_

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Infinite First Battle - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(2) Arsenal Pyramid (Exterior) - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(3) Egg Dragoon - Sonic Unleashed OST OR Egg Dragoon - Sonic Generations OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **We Are The Eggmen**

While Sonic, the Rookies, and the Babylon Rogues struggle to fight the Deadly Six and Infinite, Tails and Lil' Blue ran down the luscious green grass of Green Hill Zone. Technically, it should be called Green Hill Zones. Since the multiverse collapsed, Green Hill from the Mania Zone has merged with its counterpart in Mobius Prime. The same Badniks still roamed around aimlessly and robotic fish still lunged out of the water.

But they weren't enough to stop the dynamic duo.

Well, they _would_ be called that if Tails didn't have a hatred for Lil' Blue. The Mania Zone resident didn't make a good first impression and because of his harsh statements towards the Secret Strikers, nearly everyone on the team hated him. The only time they liked him was when he suggested finding the Super Emeralds to defeat Dr. Eggman and the Phantom Ruby. But despite coming up with a good plan, he was still disliked by Tails.

As they ran down the fields and destroyed small hordes of Badniks, Lil' Blue glanced over at Tails, who was more than determined to find the prisoners in the prison camp. Some of the prisoners he knew were Ash Mongoose, Cream the Rabbit, her mother: Vanilla, and Big the Cat. But what Tails suspicious was that Gemerl was nowhere to be seen.

For as long as he could remember, Gemerl and Cream were two peas in a pod; they were extremely close to one another.

As he wondered where the Gizoid could be, Lil' Blue patted Tails on the shoulder.

"Gotta say, Little Bro. Sorry, _Big_ Bro," he smiled. "Green Hill Zone's looking beautiful right now. Sure, it's merged with my zone, which is a bad thing. And the fact that half of it's covered in desert. But hey, it does make for some gorgeous scenery. Am I right?"

The twin-tailed kitsune didn't respond.

Lil' Blue's smile became a frown. "Look, Tails. I'm sorry for snapping at everyone. It wasn't my intention to hurt anyone. I was just sick of everyone blaming me for this whole mess. How was _I_ supposed to know that the Chaos Emeralds and the Phantom Ruby don't mix? It's not my fault this whole mess happened. I was just sticking up for myself. And I don't appreciate being belittled by you guys."

"Then _why are you trying so hard to apologize!?_ " Tails snapped at the blue hedgehog. "None of us were blaming you for anything! So, stop whining about it!"

The fox increased his speed, running ahead of the blue hedgehog.

 _Shoot,_ Lil' Blue facepalmed. _Way to go, Sonic. Now he's even madder.  
_

"Hold up!" Tails stopped in his tracks.

"What?" Lil' Blue said, accidentally bumping into the fox's back. "What's going on?"

"Shush!"

The fox jumped beside a pile of boulders to the right. The cobalt hedgehog mirrored the fox's motions, as the two of them peeked their heads upward. With their eyes squinted, they saw familiar faces in their path. Faces that made them shocked.

"No way," Tails whispered with surprise.

Dr. Eggman and Dr. Robotnik were talking in the middle of the field. A double-seated Egg Mobile sat beside them. The Mobius Prime version of the doctor paced back and forth with the Phantom Ruby in his hands whereas the villain from the Mania Zone leaned against the Egg Mobile.

Tails and Lil' Blue listened to their conversation.

"So, let me get this straight," Dr. Robotnik said. "You said that you used an atomic bomb created by the Phantom Ruby's energy to destroy Sonic, correct?"

"Correct," said Dr. Eggman.

"So, how can that infernal hedgehog still be alive!?"

"I don't know!" Dr. Eggman snarled. "I was hoping the Phantom Ruby's power would keep him trapped in Virtual Reality, but he found a way to escape! But it doesn't matter now. Once I perfect the Phantom Ruby's power, Sonic the Hedgehog and his band of Secret Strikers will not survive what I have planned."

"Just one quick thing, what are you planning to do about this?"

"Do about what?"

" _This!_ This whole multiverse incident! Clearly, this was caused by _your_ doing!"

"Oh, please. I would know if I caused an incident like this. Besides, this is just a phase of the Phantom Ruby. Meaning that its power has become temporarily unstable. But once I put it through my experiments, I'll make sure to revert this crisis. So, we have nothing to worry about."

"Listen, I found the Phantom Ruby far before you did. If I know anything, it's that it's extremely powerful! So, be careful with it. There might be a possibility we cannot control this multiversal crisis. That jackal who spoke about it gave you a fair warning."

"Who cares what Infinite believes? He's nothing but fodder to me."

"Of course Dr. Ro-butt-nik would be involved in this," Lil' Blue snarled. " _He's_ the one who did this. When I get my hands on him-" Lil' Blue tried climbing over the ledge, but Tails pulled him back against the grass. The sound his impact made alerted the doctors.

"What was that?" Dr. Eggman inquired.

"The wind, maybe?" Dr. Robotnik replied.

"Dude, relax," Tails whispered and snarled. "We can't risk blowing our cover. We're _this_ close to the prison."

"Did you not hear what they're talking about?" Lil' Blue replied. "They're forming a plan."

"I know that. We'll tell the Secret Strikers once we get back. Right now, we need to find the others-"

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over the duo. They stopped talking and gently looked at who was looming in front of them. To their surprise…

…it was Gemerl.

"Gemerl?" Tails inquired. "Is that you-"

 _ **SNATCH!**_

Gemerl grabbed Tails and Lil' Blue and flew upward. He landed to his creator and slammed the heroes onto the ground, pinning them down.

"Dr. Eggman," Gemerl spoke. "I have found intruders."

"Gemerl, what are you doing!?" Tails snarled, struggling to break free. "You on _our_ side!"

"Doesn't feel like it," Lil' Blue coughed.

"Well, well, well," Dr. Eggman cackled. "Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower, I'm so glad you can make it. You're just in time to see the true power of the Phantom Ruby."

* * *

Speaking of being pinned down, Wave and Storm were still surrounded by an army of Badniks and they were trapped by Zeena and Zor. The robots aimed their weapons at the birds' chests, charging their weapons. Jet was left in the clutches of Master Zik. His chest felt like it was being crushed by a mountain and he struggled to get back up on his feet. The cane pressed against his neck so much that he felt that he was going to explode. Jet snarled and grunted at the Zeti on his chest.

"Tell me, Legendary Wind Master," Master Zik chuckled. "What do you plan to do now?"

"Jet, grab the generator and get out of here!" Wave called. "We'll be fine!"

"I won't!" Storm gasped.

Jet grunted, trying to get back up.

"You would leave your friends for a silly generator?" Master Zik shook his head. "Such a disappointing display. I thought the Babylon Rogues stuck together like a family. But then again, you seem like the type of person to leave people behind for your own selfish reasons."

"Master, I've had enough of this nonsense," Zeena rolled her eyes. "Can these robots just finish them already?"

"Yeah, seriously," Zor moaned. "Even I'm getting tired of throwing these guys around."

"Quit your whining!" Master Zik snarled at his fellow Zeti. "We're doing this for our own self-benefit! I could care less about what Dr. Eggman wants us to do. Besides, he's got the Phantom Ruby. Once we finish these jokers, we'll steal that gemstone and use it for our own desires."

Jet coughed. "Betraying the Doc, are ya? That's not very nice."

"And what does a thief like you know about being nice?"

Jet smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Welp… I do know how to make a nice comeback. _AH-CHOO!_ "

Sneezing into Master Zik's face, Jet blinded the Zeti's eyes with nothing but spit. Then, he escaped from the tiny master's clutches and kicked him in the chest. Catching Master Zik's staff mid-air, Jet twirled it around and shot balls of cyan energy at the robots that cornered his friends. Not only did he eviscerate all of the robots, but he knocked Zeena and Zor on their rear ends. Jet spun the cane around, approached the two Zeti and smacked them across their faces, knocking them out cold.

Jet then pulled Wave and Storm on their feet.

"Get your lazy butts up," Jet chuckled. "No sleeping on the job."

Wave smacked Jet across the face.

"Ow! Take an easy, Wave. It was a joke!"

"And a very unfunny one at that!" Wave snarled, grabbing her Extreme Gear. "Let's just grab that generator and let's go."

Rubbing his face, Jet hopped on his board.

Storm grabbed the generator and did the same.

"If that will stop your whining," Jet mumbled under his breath. "Let's go, Rogues! Our work here is done!"

As the Babylon Rogues ran out of the room, Master Zik, Zeena, and Zor jumped up and ran after them.

* * *

"How do you know Zonic?" Sonic inquired. He was stunned by Infinite's question.

"I know because we have a history together," Infinite replied, clenching his fist. "The Jackal Squad and I are residents of the No Zone. We were Zone Cops alongside Zonic and the others. Zonic treated me like I was his best friend. Think of us as the No Zone versions of you and Tails; we made quite a pair… but that was before he carelessly banished me here! Left me to die here! But I wasn't the only one he banished; the Jackal Squad came here as well!... Since that day, I've struggled to get my revenge."

"But if this Zonic character was the one that angered you," Skylar chimed in. "Then why did you work with Eggman and capture the _real_ Sonic?"

"I figured helping the doctor would help draw Zonic's attention," Infinite answered. "My original plan was to use the Phantom Ruby to travel to other universes, killing other Sonics in the process. That would bait out Zonic and the Zone Cops, which they'll be lead into _my_ trap… but due to the circumstances with the multiverse, my plan isn't going as well as I hoped. Dr. Eggman is ignorant of what consequences he'll face. In other words, he's abusing the Phantom Ruby as if it's a toy! The Zone Cops made it as a way of traveling through dimensions faster!"

Now, everyone, including the Deadly Six, was stunned.

"Wait, wait, wait," Clay shook his head. "This is getting all kinds of whack! You're saying that the Phantom Ruby came from the No Zone, but we were told that it came from the Mania Zone! This doesn't make any sense!"

"That's because Zonic banished the Phantom Ruby to that zone right after he banished me! He carelessly threw all of that power away, causing it to wind up in _this_ dimension! Zonic has no regard for the safety of this world, which is why he's leaving you to deal with me… if Zonic really wanted to atone for his mistakes, he would face me _right now!_ "

Sonic cracked his fingers. "Sadly, Zonic can't come to the chat right now. But you got the next best thing possible, me!"

Infinite landed on his feet. "I've taken you down once, Sonic the Hedgehog. I can take you down again!"

"Let's just see about that, toast lover!"

"What? How did you know I love toast!? Who told you!?"

Sonic shrugged, as he and the Rookies leaped into battle. _**(1)**_

"Oh, I want some toast!" Zomom licked his lips.

"You and I can share it later," Infinite snapped his fingers. "Get them!"

Zavok, Zazz, and Zomom charged for the four Rookies whereas Sonic pounced on Infinite's chest, landing jabs and heavy blows across his face. Infinite kicked Sonic off of him and shot a ray of cubes at him. But due to his super-speed, Sonic dodged to the side and ran down the platform of large shifting gears. Infinite followed behind, shooting an aura of cubes.

Soon, Infinite landed on the ground and formed a set of magenta shuriken with the Phantom Ruby. One by one, he chucked them at the blue hedgehog. Sonic dodged six of them before he was hit by the seventh one. But instead of being cut in half, he was suddenly trapped in a field where everything around him started to glitch. The gear platforms moved faster, and they had spikes on all sides. Suddenly, balls of energy cubes shot right for the hedgehog. Struggling to focus, Sonic was hit by a few of the cubes before he kicked another back at Infinite.

The hedgehog and the jackal leaped towards each other with the former kicking the latter up the face. Everything suddenly changed back to normal, and the two combatants duked it out.

Meanwhile, Emma and Skylar fended off the forces of Zavok and Zazz.

And Zomom was chasing after Clay and Buster. The rabbit and the dog were running away from the chubby Zeti, who was spinning around like a helicopter.

"Who can a man that fat move so fast!?" Buster screamed.

"Just keeping running, Buster Beeza!" Clay replied.

Soon, the duo ran up the wall and jumped over the chubby Zeti.

Clay spun his hammer and swung it back. "The Mighty Clay strikes a heavy attack! Hi-ya!"

As soon as Clay slammed his hammer into Zomom's face, the Zeti stood still before he fell down on his stomach. His face was smooshed in the hammer. Buster stopped running and awkwardly stood beside his best friend. The two shared a confused glance.

"Wow, I can't believe that worked," Clay chuckled nervously.

But it turned out that his hammer was inside Zomom's mouth. He gave it a few licks before he mumbled. "Hmm… this is a weird flavor. Needs more salt."

" _GAH!_ " Clay gasped, trying to pull his weapon out of Zomom's mouth. "Get off my hammer, you foul beast!"

Buster leaped up and shot a massive square of projectiles from his Wispon. Once he slammed Zomom's head into the ground, Clay's hammer was set free. The bulky Zeti roared at the top of his lungs and smacked the two Rookies to the side. Hitting, back-first, against the wall, Clay and Buster jumped back up and backed away from the hungry monster.

"I'm gonna chew you two _extra_ before _swallowing!_ " Zomom exclaimed.

Clay and Buster felt sweat pour down their faces.

"Tell me he's saying that as a metaphor," Clay gulped.

"Why bother when he can have my lunch?" Buster folded his arms, chuckling.

Zomom froze. "Huh?"

Buster reached into his backpack and pulled out a box of dog treats. "Hey, boy. You want some treats?"

Zomom barked like a Mobian dog and got down on his knees. Buster opened the box and took out a dog biscuit. He waved it back and forth, almost as if he was a hypnotist trying to place a client in a trance. Zomom's eyes lit up with sparkles, as he followed the biscuit.

"Come on, boy," Buster said. "Sit!"

Zomom sat down.

"Roll over!"

Zomom rolled over.

"Do a flip!"

Zomom performed a standing backflip.

"Okay, _fetch!_ " Buster chucked the treat and the entire box forward. Barking like a dog, Zomom raced towards the box and grabbed it.

Clay and Buster were finally left alone.

The rabbit placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Dude, that was amazing! How did you know what would work?"

"Your movie helped me."

"My what?"

"Remember when you and I made our own films? We did this one where two archeologists were looking for lost treasure when they came across a pair of savage wolves. Your character pulled out a bag of dog-treats and lured the wolves away. You and I _loved_ filming that scene. Don't you remember?"

Clay's smile turned into a sudden frown when he heard that. "Y-yeah… only a little though. I haven't made a cheesy movie in such a long time."

"Why did you stop? I never understood why."

Clay turned to the side, rubbing his arm. He felt sadness in his heart. "Buster, it's because… I-"

 _ **WHAM!**_

Skylar and Emma crashed against the wall and landed on top of each other.

"Emma, Skylar!" Buster cried, as he and Clay rushed over to help them up. "Are you guys okay?"

"We won't be for long!" Emma gulped, pointing at the crazy purple Zeti approaching her like a rabid animal. Clay swung his hammer back and smacked Zazz across the jaw, shooing him away from his friends. But suddenly, the four Rookies were left to deal with Zavok.

"Four powerless runts," Zavok clapped his fists together. "This is going to be so easy that it almost makes me feel guilty!"

Clay slammed his hammer against the ground, causing blue cubes to surround Zavok. Some of them crashed into him, but he managed to smack the others away. Skylar and Buster shot projectiles of asteroid balls and gusts of air at the monstrous creature, as Clay and Emma rushed forward and delivered a powerful glow; an electric shock and a large cube knocked Zavok back a few feet.

"Perhaps I've underestimated you four," Zavok coughed, wiping his lip. "Very well. I'm glad I know not to hold back!"

Zavok resumed his battle with the four Rookies, as Sonic and Infinite continued their brawl.

The blue hedgehog and the black jackal were caught in a fistfight. Fiery fists of rage flew in the air, as both of them unleashed their brute strength. Infinite performed a volley kick, but Sonic ducked underneath it. Sonic then tackled the jackal and thrashed upon him with punches and kicks.

"You're holding back, aren't you, Infinite?" Sonic quipped, dodging a punch from Infinite.

"W-what?" the masked jackal grunted. "I'm not holding back!"

"Sure you are. You were pretty powerful when the bomb went off, but now, you're holding back! Why? Because you know Egghead has a screw loose! In other words, you know this whole multiverse thing is getting out of hand!"

Infinite shot rays of cubes at Sonic, missing every hit. "As I said before, the doctor is arrogant of his consequences! If he keeps this up, our world will be destroyed!"

"Obviously, Zonic and the Zone Cops taught you a thing or two!"

"Before they left me, yes!"

"What exactly happened? You weren't very elaborate on the details. All you did was tell me Zonic banished you here. Surely, he had to have a reason!"

"You won't live to see his reason!"

With a magenta aura forming around his body, Infinite dove down and slammed the ground. He created a shockwave that sent Sonic flying backward. Luckily, the blue hedgehog landed on a nearby ledge. Just as he prepared to charge at Infinite, he glanced over and saw that Zavok was tossing the Rookies around like chew toys.

"No!" Sonic gasped. He ran down to help, but his path was blocked by a tower of cubes.

"Zavok can have your friends," Infinite snarled. "It's _you_ that I want!"

Skylar smacked Zavok's chest with her fist, but she was grabbed and tossed against the wall.

"Hey!" Clay exclaimed. "Leave my friend alone!"

He slammed his hammer on Zavok's head, but all that did was give him the same result as the royal blue bear. Buster and Emma lasted the longest because they fought from a far distance, but Zavok was able to grab them and slam them against the wall. All four Rookies were down, and they were about to be beaten to a pulp.

Zazz woke up from his slumber.

Zomom munched on the dog treats.

"This is the end, Rodents," Zavok chuckled.

"Actually, we're all mammals," Skylar corrected him.

"Who cares? It won't matter when you-"

 _ **THUD!**_

Jet the Hawk, with his Extreme Gear, landed on Zavok's head. "Sheesh, do all of you Zeti drag out your dialogue? It gets annoying real fast!"

"Get off of me!" Zavok wiped his hand around, trying to hit the green hawk. Jet and Wave swarmed around the monster like bees flying around a hungry bear. Zavok was about to grab the latter before he was punched by Storm, who had the power generator in one hand.

"What!?" Infinite grunted.

Sonic jumped up, curled into a ball, and homing attacked Infinite.

The wall of cubes quickly dissolved, giving Sonic the ability to help the Rookies on their feet. "Nice work, guys. Are you okay?"

"We're okay," Clay nodded. "That guy's tough. He's quite a worthy foe for my warriors and I."

Even though Skylar abhorred all of the warrior remarks from Clay, she couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that Clay didn't refer to himself in the third person. She was also happy that Clay called her a warrior, which caused her to blush.

"Are you blushing?" Emma teased.

"What?" Skylar covered her cheeks. "Shut up, Emma!"

"Okay."

Jet, Wave, and Storm approached Sonic.

"Did you get the generator?" the Blue Blur inquired.

"Right here," Jet motioned to Storm holding the generator. "Told ya the Rogues and I could handle the job. But you do remember our end of the bargain, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, you get the Chaos Emeralds. But you gotta steal more stuff first."

Jet chuckled. "Duly noted."

"Hey, guys!" Clay pointed. "We better get out of here! The Deadly Six are coming!"

Master Zik, Zor, and Zeena ran down the factory, charging towards the Secret Strikers.

"Welp, I guess that's our cue," Sonic grabbed Clay and Skylar's hands. Emma and Buster grabbed their friends' hands as well. "Grab on, everyone! We're out of here!"

The Babylon Rogues drove through the path of rotating gears, as Sonic and the Rookies boosted through the factory. They ran past Infinite, who was furious. He jumped up and ran after them alongside the Deadly Six. _**(1s)**_

* * *

As Tails and Lil' Blue were pinned down by Gemerl, Dr. Eggman paced back and forth. He analyzed the Phantom Ruby's many features before he turned to the two heroes. "Such power exceeds my expectations. _Ha!_ My own genius can scare me sometimes."

"Something tells me you miscalculated, Doc," Tails grunted. "Look around you! Have you seen what's happening? The Phantom Ruby's power is affecting other dimensions!"

"I hate to admit it, but the fox is right," Dr. Robotnik intervened. "I only showed up here yesterday, but I know that this has gotten out of control!"

"Wow, the Doc's on the same page as us?" Lil' Blue snickered. "Color me impressed."

"I may not know much about the Phantom Ruby other than what _I've_ studied," Dr. Robotnik continued. "But I know it's not meant to be abused like this! We need to fix this as soon as possible!"

"And we will," Dr. Eggman scoffed. "Once I use it to finish off the Secret Strikers. Speaking of which, Gemerl, finish these jokers for daddy!"

"Yes, sir," Gemerl slammed Tails and Lil' Blue against each other, knocking them to the ground. He then clapped his hands together, forming a ball of orange energy. Lil' Blue got up, ready to strike. But before he did anything, Gemerl aimed for both doctors instead. "You hurt Cream!"

Shooting the ball of energy forward, he blasted both doctors in their chests. They toppled over the Egg Mobile and fell onto the ground.

The black/yellow Gizoid helped Tails on his feet. "Sorry for the scare, Tails. But I couldn't hurt my own friend."

"Gemerl, you're okay!" Tails cheered happily.

Lil' Blue folded his arms. "Okay, how many more of your friends are playing the whole good guy pretending to be a bad guy game?"

Gemerl scanned the miniature version of Sonic. "Who's this guy?"

"It's a long story," Tails replied. "What happened to you? We were worried about you, Cream, and everyone else."

"Eggman forced me to become lead general of his Badnik army. I've spent a huge chunk of my time away from Cream and Vanilla. Once I heard we were being sent here to do work, I had to come up with a way to escape. Thankfully, I saw you two running down Green Hill, so I figured I'd meet up with you and come up with a plan."

"And you could've just blasted Eggman at the start?" Lil' Blue raised an eyebrow.

"What? I wanted my entrance to have some flare. But I apologize if I frightened you, Tails."

"No worries," the kitsune gave a thumbs up. He then heard Dr. Eggman and Dr. Robotnik getting back up. "Gemerl, I need you to listen to me. Sonic, the Babylon Rogues, and the band of Rookies are here to grab a generator from the Arsenal Pyramid. They should be heading down to the prison camp. Meet up with them and rescue everyone that's there! Lil' Blue and I will deal with these clowns."

"Hey, you acknowledged me," Lil' Blue smiled. "Does that mean you're not mad at me?"

"No."

Lil' Blue frowned.

"Tell them I sent you, okay, Gemerl?"

"Your mission is my command, Tails."

"Sweet! I'll see you soon!"

With that, Gemerl saluted the duo before he took off flying across the sky. Tails and Lil' Blue shared a glance before they glared at both Eggmen. Dr. Eggman snarled and grabbed the Phantom Ruby. "Don't think this is over, you pests! I still got one last trick up my sleeve! Robotnik, saddle up! We're about to show these losers the true power of the Phantom Ruby!"

Holding up the ruby, a pulse of magenta waves covered the area.

Tails and Lil' Blue shielded their eyes, hearing the loud pulse ring through their eardrums. For what felt like an interminable time, the duo realized that the pulsing stopped. Opening their eyes, they looked up and were met with a surprise…

…The Egg Dragoon sat in front of them.

It was piloted by both Eggmen.

"Mwa-hahaha-hahaha hahaha!" they both cackled at the top of their lungs.

"Wow, this is some excellent craftsmanship," Dr. Robotnik chuckled, stroking the control console. "Very nice."

"It's all thanks to _this_ lovely gemstone," Dr. Eggman kissed the Phantom Ruby, which caused him to get an electric shock. "Ouch!... _Ahem! Let's crush them!_ "

The Egg Dragoon extended its wings and spun its drill.

Tails and Lil' Blue took a few steps back. The former wondered how he was going to beat this while the latter was filled with nothing but excitement.

"Yo, that looks so awesome!" Lil' Blue laughed. "This thing may smash us into chili sauce, but this still looks amazing!"

"This isn't something to celebrate!" Tails yelled back.

"Are you kidding me? Look at it!" Lil' Blue pointed, as he and Tails avoiding rocket-sized missiles that shout of the Egg Dragoon's arm. The two of them moved to the side and ran down the luscious green hills. The Egg Dragoon followed close behind, using its tail to shoot terrain debris and black rocks at the duo.

Lil' Blue leaped up, down, and all around, taking off at the speed of light.

Tails spun his twin-namesakes around and took to the air, avoiding more missiles and boulders that came his way. He whipped out his Arm Cannon and shot golden projectiles at the Super Badnik. He managed to land a few good hits, but they didn't do much damage. Instead, the Egg Dragoon shot a massive drill claw at the fox. To which, the fox avoided it and flew closer to Lil' Blue.

"We need a plan!" Tails said.

"I got one!" Lil' Blue replied, as he spin dashed into a black boulder and kicked it towards the Egg Dragoon. Unlike Tails' cannon, the boulder did some damage.

"Ouch!" both Eggman and Robotnik snarled.

Tails flew beside Lil' Blue, amazed by his simple plan. "Hey, that actually worked. Let's try it again!"

"Right on, Big Bro!"

Tails and Lil' Blue shared a nod before both of them took off in separate directions. As the Egg Dragoon caused boulders to land on the ground, the dynamic duo kicked it back at the machine, forcing some of the controls to malfunction. But thanks to the Phantom Ruby's power, both doctors kicked things up a notch; they increased the speed of missiles and slammed the ground with the robots drill claws. They hoped that it would throw the duo off balance, but all it did was shake Lil' Blue off his feet. Thankfully, Tails was there to grab him and pull him back up.

"Thanks, buddy," Lil' Blue winked.

"You're welcome."

"Look, Tails. I'm sorry for-"

"Not that I don't want to hear another failed apology, but now's not the time."

"Right, sorry, my bad."

Lil' Blue and Tails continued fighting against the Egg Dragoon. _**(2)**_

* * *

Bashing their way out of the Arsenal Pyramid, Sonic and the Secret Strikers rode down the desert road before they landed in Green Hill Zone. They made their way down a mountain and towards the prison camp, hoping to run into Tails and Lil' Blue. But sadly, they found no such luck.

Sonic squinted his eyes. "Anyone see Tails and Lil' Blue?"

"Nothing on my end," Wave replied. "Shorty probably got lost."

"Wait, what's that over there?" Storm pointed.

In the distance, a black/yellow figure was racing through the sky. Sonic knew exactly who that was. "That's not Tails, but it's the next best thing! Let's go free those prisoners! Clay, Skylar, come with me and we'll free Mina's boyfriend! Everyone else, start bashing some bots!"

Everyone, including the Babylon Rogues, cheered once they heard the plan. They ran faster and faster until they boosted through the front gate of the prison. Startling a few inmates, the Secret Strikers ran forward and shoved their way through hordes of robots.

Gemerl landed beside the heroes and grabbed two Egg Fighters, bashing their heads into one another. He then blasted an armada of orange energy at Super Badniks wanting to stop him, as he teleported behind a few enemies and shot them with missiles. He then looked over and saw Cream, Vanilla, and Big. The three of them were being bossed around by a few guards. Before Gemerl could make a move on them, Emma and Buster took care of them in an instant. They turned to Gemerl and gave him a thumbs up. The Gizoid mirrored their motion, as he approached his family.

"Yay! Freedom Fighters!" Big clapped his hands.

"Gemerl!" Cream cried with happiness. Her Chao, Cheese clapped his hands and circled the Gizoid. The rabbit hugged her adoptive brother and shed a small tear. "I missed you. Thank you for saving me! I didn't know you knew Sonic was alive."

"For the record," Gemerl answered. "I didn't."

Speaking of the blue hedgehog, he ran forward and reunited with his friends. "Hey, guys. What's shakin'?"

Cream, Vanilla, and Big hugged Mobius' hero. Gemerl just gave him a fist-bump.

"Sonic, you're okay," Big smiled.

"Thank goodness you're back, Mr. Sonic," Cream smiled. "I missed you!"

"Welcome home, Sonic," Vanilla greeted.

"What took you so long, Big Blue?" Gemerl asked. "It's been six months."

"It takes a long story and a horror movie trailer to explain what happened to me," Sonic answered. "But I'm glad you guys are safe. Have you seen Tails and a little hedgehog that looks just like me? They were supposed to meet us here."

"We haven't seen Mr. Tails or the other hedgehog," Cream answered. "I'm sorry."

"They actually sent me here to find you," Gemerl answered. "They're back in Green Hill fighting against both Eggmen."

"Eggmen?"

"Yesterday, an Eggman from another dimension, I think his name was Dr. Robotnik, came by and now he's working with our Eggman."

"Great!" Sonic snapped his fingers in annoyance. "He must've come here when the multiverse collapsed."

"Multiverse?" Big raised an eyebrow. "I thought there was only _one_ universe."

"I'll explain later, Big," Sonic folded his arms. "Have you guys seen a man named Ash Mongoose? I promised his girlfriend I'd rescue him for her."

"I didn't see Ash Mongoose," Big smiled. "But I did see a mongoose named Ash."

Everyone gave the cat a deadpanned stare.

"Where is he?" Sonic inquired.

"Is that him over there?" Cream pointed.

Sonic turned around and saw a yellow-furred mongoose with black hair and dark blue eyes. For attire, he had a white jacket, black boots, red sunglasses, blue pants, and a black shirt with an emoticon. He was being carried to a shuttle by an army of Egg Pawns. Sonic, Cream, Gemerl, and Big raced forward. They ran alongside Clay and Skylar, as they dashed towards the Egg Pawns. Before they could toss Mina's boyfriend onto the ship, the bulky cat grabbed the robots and bashed them together. Clay and Gemerl punched the robots, as Cream jumped into them with her boots. Skylar shot them away with blasts of air, as Sonic performed a front flip off a set of Egg Pawns, landing in front of the mongoose.

"I assume you're Mina's boyfriend?" he asked.

"Y-yes!" Ash replied excitingly. "Is she okay? Tell me she's okay!"

"Easy there, buddy. She's safe. But I need you to come back with me, okay?"

"Got it! What do we do about the other prisoners? Can I help them escape?"

"Yes, you can," Sonic winked. "We'll steal these ships and set a course for Angel Island. That's where the Secret Strikers' HQ is! Mina's there too!"

"Sweet! Let's to it do it!"

"Um, it's do it to it!"

"Oh, sorry. My bad."

Emma and Buster guided former inmates to the airships, hearing the plan that Sonic discussed with Ash.

Gemerl, Clay, Buster, and Cream assisted them.

"Come on, everyone," Clay called out. "This way, this way, come get a free ticket out of here!"

The prisoners rushed out of the prison and boarded the airships. Luckily, several pilots were among the crowd, so they volunteered to take control of the ships. Sonic ran down the lanes and called out to everyone that boarded the ships.

"Set a course for Angel Island! Commander Knuckles is expecting you!"

The Babylon Rogues watched as the shuttles closed their doors and they levitated off the ground with ease. Wave smiled at the sight of people being free. Even though she had the same feelings as Jet, meaning she had no interest in world-saving, but she was still happy that the Secret Strikers were here to set everyone free. Sadly, Jet and Storm didn't share her feelings. The three bandits landed beside the rest of the resistance. They watched Ash run towards one of the ships.

Sonic ran up and grabbed the mongoose by his arm. "Hold up there, buddy. You're not getting on those ships. You're coming with us."

"Oh, right," Ash chuckled nervously. "Sorry."

Vanilla boarded one of the ships. Cream and Gemerl stayed behind to help the other Secret Strikers combat the Eggman Empire.

"Goodbye, my children," she spoke softly. "I'll see you soon. Be careful."

"We will, Mother," Cream smiled. "See you soon."

As the door to Vanilla's shuttle closed, Gemerl and Cream followed the rest of the resistance towards the front gate of the camp. Avoiding projectiles coming from Egg Pawns and Buzz Bombers, everyone penetrated through the gate and took off down Green Hill's main area. They looked behind them and saw Infinite and the Deadly Six. From where they were running, they looked like tiny insects.

In other words, there was no way they were going to catch up. _**(2s)**_

"Take _that_ , Egghead!" Clay shouted, high-fiving his friends.

"One item down, two to go," Jet smirked. "This is costing you, Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Sonic moaned.

Gemerl leaned close to Sonic's ear. "Yo, why are the Babylon Rogues here? Aren't they a bunch of jerks?"

"They are, but I'm gonna explain later. Right now, I want to know if Tails and Lil' Blue are okay." _**(3)**_

* * *

The twin-tailed kitsune and the cobalt hedgehog were doing mildly well.

They were landing some hits onto the Egg Dragoon, but they were running out of boulders to knock back at it. Once the doctors realized the procedure the duo was doing, they decided to hold off on hitting them with terrain debris. Instead, they solely relied on missiles and other firearms to finish the job. Unfortunately for the heroes, they couldn't find a way to attack the Egg Dragoon without getting hit. Lil' Blue jumped over a drill and ran as fast as he could, but he didn't want to leave Tails behind. The two-tailed fox had a different plan.

"Lil' Blue, grab on!" the fox held out his hands.

"You don't gotta tell me twice!" the hedgehog grabbed his big brother's arms, as the fox spun his namesakes and took to the skies. But the Egg Dragoon was close behind.

Even though some parts of it were malfunctioning, Dr. Eggman managed to keep the machine working with his Mania Zone counterpart's help. Together, they mashed buttons on the console, firing weapons at the heroes.

Tails and Lil' Blue gasped, evading more projectiles.

"I'm getting a little sick of this thing!" Lil' Blue screamed.

"Me too!" Tails grunted. "This is the _third_ time he's used this against us!"

"What?"

"That's not an original creation. It's been used twice in my past!"

"Wow, Egghead's so lazy that he relies on old creations to get his work done. Talk about poor writing."

"We _have_ to do something to take down the Egg Dragoon's defenses. But the core's too strong to breakthrough!"

Lil' Blue stroked his chin. "I may have an idea, but I doubt you'd be up for it!"

"Honestly, I'll take _anything_ at this point. So, what do you got?"

"My Tails and I did this in my world, but we would grab each other's hands, form a Spin Dash, and boost into Ro-butt-nik's machines. I know you're mad at me for my rude comments, and I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, but if we want to win this, I need you to trust me!"

Tails looked down at the hedgehog's black eyes and stared deep into them. He hated him for everything he's said in the past few days, but he knew that if he stayed mad at him further, he'd burn to a crisp. Even though he wasn't planning to forgive him fully, Tails took a deep breath and nodded.

"If that's will it'll take, then let's do it!"

"Great! On my command, ready? One!"

"Two…"

The duo grabbed each other's hands. They both shouted, " _ **THREE!**_ "

Combining their spin dashes together, the dynamic duo circled around the air and shot backward. The Egg Dragoon paused mid-air, only to see a streak of blue and yellow light heading towards. Dr. Robotnik screamed whereas Dr. Eggman grunted. He mashed a few buttons on the console and shot a few weapons, hoping to stop the double boost. But sadly, Lil' Blue and Tails penetrated through the Egg Dragoon's core. Lil' Blue's plan proved to be a good one because both doctors the entire Egg Dragoon fall to bits. The whole thing was about to blow up. Before they could escape through the Egg Mobile, they let out an exasperated message.

" _I HATE THAT HEDGEHOG!_ "

The Egg Dragoon exploded by the time they stopped yelling. _**(3s)**_

* * *

Elsewhere, Sonic and the Secret Strikers witnessed a massive explosion in the distance.

They all stopped for a quick moment, watching a giant glowing light.

"Tails! Lil' Blue!" Sonic shouted, as he ran ahead of the crowd.

"Hey! I'm faster than you!" Jet squawked, as he followed the blue hedgehog in an instant.

Everyone else didn't want to wait for them, so they ran forward.

They've spent a few minutes catching up to Sonic and Jet before they met up with the two and came to a sudden stop. From where they were standing, the Egg Dragoon laid on the ground. Parts of it were on fire and a malfunctioning Egg Mobile sat on the side. With it, both Dr. Eggman and Dr. Robotnik sat inside the cockpit.

Just then, Tails, who carried Lil' Blue, landed on the ground.

The two of them struck a victorious pose before they shared a nod. Lil' Blue offered a fist-bump and Tails looked at him with hesitance. Looking at the hedgehog's gloved fist, Tails was skeptical about this before he finally committed to it; he shared a fist-bump with Lil' Blue.

"I see you two are getting along," Sonic smiled.

"Yeah… you can say that," Tails rubbed his head. "Are you guys okay?"

Cream and Big walked over and gave Tails a hug.

"Never better, Mr. Tails," Cream smiled.

"There was a pretty light back there," Big added.

"Hey, guys," Tails nodded, releasing the two Mobians. "I'm glad you're okay. Did all of the prisoners escape?"

"They should be heading back to HQ," Gemerl nodded.

"Sweet! What about the generator?"

Jet, Wave, and Storm held up said item.

"Awesome!" Tails nodded. "Never thought I'd say this, but nice work, Rogues."

The mumbling of Dr. Eggman stopped the Secret Strikers from celebrating. He opened the cockpit and pushed his vehicle upward. Dr. Robotnik woke up and snarled at his counterpart. Dr. Eggman hopped inside and glared at the Secret Strikers. Normally, he would say something threatening, but instead…

…he started laughing.

"Look at all of you, fighting like you've got a chance to win, it's adorable!" he cackled. "It almost makes me feel bad that we're never going to do this little dance again… in three days, my plan will obliterate the bothersome lot of you and soon, all of you will cease to exist!"

"Wait, three days?" Emma gasped.

"What plan?" Tails snarled.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise," Dr. Eggman shook his head. The Egg Mobile lifted off the ground. "You know what they say, the anticipation in the end is worse than the end itself."

In the blink of an eye, the Egg Mobile took off.

The Secret Strikers were left alone.

"Hey, Boss," Storm gulped. "What do you think Eggman's planning?"

"As long as he's got ahold of that ruby, he can be planning _anything!_ " Wave chimed in.

"Relax, you two!" Jet scoffed. "Knowing the doctor, his plan will just blow up in his face!"

"Normally, I'd agree," Tails spoke. "But after everything that's happened with the multiverse, I'm willing to bet that this will be something bigger. We need to awaken the Super Emeralds as fast as possible. I'm just hoping Knuckles and the others got those chemical rods I need for the portal."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Sonic asked with a smile. "Let's head to the Mystic Jungle and see what's up! Secret Strikers, _Charge!_ "

The resistance rushed down Green Hill, praying that everything's going well in the Mystic Jungle.

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 20**_

* * *

 _Tails and Lil' Blue are starting to get along for now, but who knows how long it will be until the cobalt hedgehog from the Mania Zone apologizes for his rude comments from earlier. But on a more important note, Infinite has revealed that he has a connection to Zonic. But it gets worse! Dr. Eggman has a diabolical plan occurring in three days! What can it be? Well, if you played the game, you obviously know what it is, but maybe the plan will be different for the sake of this rewrite? Who knows? Anyways, the Secret Strikers are heading down to find the rest of their team in the Mystic Jungle. We'll see what Knuckles and the others were doing during the events of Chapter 19 in..._

 _"Chapter 21: Into The Burning Mystic"._

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _Gemerl, Cream, and Vanilla made a brief appearance in Chapter 7 if I recall correctly. It might have been Chapter 6. I can't think of it off the top of my head at the moment. I figured I'd bring them back for this story. Besides, Gemerl and Cream were the best parts of the most recent IDW Sonic Issue. I had to bring them here. Speaking of which, I'm shocked they weren't in Sonic Forces. I can understand why Cream wasn't there, but where was Gemerl? He could have helped Omega take down Infinite or something, I don't know._

 _Infinite being from the No Zone is something I thought of a while ago. I figured it would bring more of a reason as to why the Zone Cops showed up in this story in the first place. And now that it's foreshadowed that the Phantom Ruby's from the No Zone, we'll be seeing how this is possible soon enough._

 _Response to TheLostEternity: First off, I apologize for not responding to your comments in the last chapter. I might have, but I can't remember. Anyways, your brain's gonna have to register the fact Infinite is from the No Zone. You'll see what happens later. Infinite is your favorite Sonic character? Nice! Part of this rewrite was really fixing his personality. His backstory is one thing and his powers are another, but my biggest issue with Infinite was his personality. Like the Deadly Six in Lost World, he was pretty one-dimensional. I wanted to give Infinite the personality and potential he deserves._

 _That's all I have to say, ladies and gentlemen! I hope you're all doing well out there! Thanks so much for reading! Don't forget to R &R! I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you all next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	21. Into The Burning Mystic

_**A/N:** So, this chapter in particular takes place during the events of Chapter 19: Arsenal Breakout! This segment shows us a revamped version of the Luminous Forest level from Sonic Forces, but minus the Infinite fight and other things. What changes await? Let's see. Special shout out to those who favorited and followed this story and thanks to those who have reviewed!_

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Luminous Forest - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(2) Steel Plated Faker - Sonic Mania Adventures OST_**

 ** _(3) Aqua Road (Moonlight Battlefield) - Sonic Forces OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **Into The Burning Mystic**

As Sonic and his team make their way to the Arsenal Pyramid, Commander Knuckles and his own team: the Chaotix, Amy, Silver, Blaze, Team Feral Strike, marched off into battle in the Luminous Forest, a section of the Mystic Jungle. For the most part, the forest was normal, but since it was taken over by the Eggman Empire, it's been rebuilt into its leader's perfect image. In other words, the jungle was decorated in items that resembled casino furniture. There were giant machines that offered gold rings and other prizes (though, if you got three Eggman icons, you'd be rewarded with a punishment), colorful lights that illuminated the night sky, and the place was crawling with Badniks.

But thankfully, the Secret Strikers bypassed them with ease. _**(1)**_

The Chaotix shifted to the left and took down an army of Egg Pawns. Vector munched off the arms of several robots, Espio shut down their systems with his daggers, and Charmy gave everyone the first sting. As the bee dealt with his enemies, he couldn't help but sing.

"Whee, whee, whee! Who wants a sting from me!" Charmy chuckled, as bashed through multiple enemies.

Espio volley kicked an Egg Pawn. "Focus, Charmy. Eggman's army is growing in numbers!"

"But they're not growing in strength!" Vector chimed in, punching more Badniks against each other. "If we keep this up, we'll save that echidna girl no problem!"

"Let's hope so!" Espio nodded.

Knuckles and Amy joined Team Feral Strike and other Mobains/humans who volunteered for the resistance shot through the army of robots that stood in their way. For some reason, Badniks that resembled ostriches called Egg Walkers ran away from the resistance. Everyone was confused, but Team Feral Strike boosted ahead and burned them down with their Wispons.

"Hey, why are you guys running away?" Corvin cackled. "What's the matter? Scared of a fellow bird?"

Knuckles and Amy ran beside Gadget and Dakota.

"Tikal should be in a factory that's nearby!" Knuckles said to everyone else. "Let's keep the pace going! Push through, everyone!"

Suddenly, the last member of Knuckles' team: Chaos leaped over the Secret Strikers and landed on the ground. Multiple Mobians that wore the Eggman Empire's clothing aimed their weapons and shot at the water God. But since he was entirely liquid, the bullets did nothing. Chaos, filled with anger, grabbed the soldiers and slammed their heads together. He dove forward and penetrated through the Eggman Empire's army.

"Thank goodness he's on our side," Amy slammed her hammer into an Egg Pawn. "I'd hate to fight Chaos after last time."

Knuckles landed an uppercut against an Egg Walker. "You're right, Amy! I feel bad that Chaos was forced into Eggman's regime! Tikal means the world to him, she's been there since day one! We need to hurry and rescue her fast!"

"We also need those chemical rods for the multiverse portal, don't we?" Silver chimed in. "I'll go ahead and find those!"

"I'm coming with you," Blaze entered the scene, eviscerating Badniks with ease. "You're going to need backup, Silver."

"Thanks, Blaze," Silver nodded and smiled.

"Stay in touch, you two," Knuckles said. "Let me know if you find Tikal."

Saluting their commander, Silver and Blaze took off in the dark of night.

Knuckles and the Secret Strikers held their own against the army.

"Has anyone heard from Sonic?" Amy inquired, squashing robots with her hammer. "Or Tails? Or anyone!?"

Gadget charged his Burst Wispon and eviscerated an army of Egg Walkers. "Tails contacted me and told me the Rookies, Sonic, and the Babylon Rogues are close to the pyramid. He should call you shortly!"

Coincidentally, Amy's communicator received a transmission.

She answered it quickly, "Hello?"

" _Yo, Ames,"_ Sonic replied. _"The Rookies, Babylon Rogues, and I are inside the pyramid," he said. "We're getting close to that generator Tails needs."_

"Excellent!"Amy smiled. "The Secret Strikers and I are going to rescue Tikal. Let me know how things go. Stay alert!"

" _Ha, this should be fun."_

Clay felt sick to his stomach. _"Fun for you, but not fun for me."_

Amy hung up the call.

"I don't trust that Clay character," Gadget moaned.

"Oh, for Chaos' sake, here we go again," Dakota grumbled. Chaos turned to him once he said that. "Right, sorry, Chaos."

The water god shrugged and kept fighting.

"Gadget, how many times have I told you to knock it off!?"

"Clay and his friends are idiots! They're going to screw this up!"

"Like _you_ never screwed things up before? The first time we came to the Secret Strikers, you kept disobeying orders and knocking down random stuff! Stop pretending you're the leader around here and do as your commander says!"

"Enough, you two!" Amy exclaimed. "There's no time for arguing! Right now! We have a friend to rescue!"

The wolf brothers exchanged a glare before they joined the Secret Strikers down the pathway.

* * *

Elsewhere, Silver and Blaze safely landed towards a factory that sat in the hub of the Mystic Jungle. This was Dr. Eggman's base of operations and it was one of the factories that housed experiments for the Phantom Ruby. The duo landed on the grass and glanced at the factory's massive size. It was bigger than a mountain, yet way smaller than a continent. Blaze folded her arms and walked towards the back door.

"I'll alert Knuckles once we find Tikal," she said. "Do you think we should split up or stick together?"

Silver didn't respond to her query.

The lavender cat turned around. "Silver, did you hear what I asked you?" _**(1s)**_

When she looked at him, she realized that he was feeling devastated. Silver had his eyes closed and his head faced the ground. A small tear poured down from the hedgehog's cheek.

Concerned for her friend, Blaze gently approached him. "Silver… is something wrong?"

* * *

 _~Flashback_

200 years into the future, Angel Island is known as Onyx Island. A place that was more technologically advanced than its ancestor. In this time, the island is ruled by the Onyx City Council: a shadowy organization whose ambitions make them a force to be reckoned with. Whenever something gets out of hand, they would send their Civil Protection Robots down to secure the area and apprehend those responsible.

Today, Silver the Hedgehog hoped that the Civil Protection Robots wouldn't catch him. Not too long ago, he discovered that something terrible was going to happen in the past, something that would determine the fate of Sonic the Hedgehog and all of Mobius. Silver couldn't let that happen. He sat alone in an abandoned laboratory, watching the drones push those in need like they're nothing. A lone child attempted to make the drones happy by showing them her doll, but the robots ripped the doll to shreds and pushed the little girl to the side.

Silver always had contempt for the robots. Not only were they bullying everyone in his city, but they also had Eggman Empire logos on their shoulders.

But Dr. Eggman wasn't the one who built these…

…it was his descendent: Dr. Eggman Nega.

Silver turned to the TV that was playing behind him, watching a feline news reporter give the daily news.

" _Welcome back to another installment of Onyx City News. Today, we're seeing the Onyx City Council join its new partner, Dr. Eggman Nega in a speech regarding the constant rebellions that have been happening as of late. Here's Dr. Nega with a few words."_

The white-mustached man with a black and gold jacket stood up on the podium, clearing his throat. _"I know there are some people out there who aren't fans of my partnership with the City Council, but I have a little announcement to make for those people. I don't care that you dislike my regime. I don't care about the constant rebellions you pull. If you dare to make another stand against my regime, I'll have no other choice but to send my Civil Protection Drones after you. They're fierce, they're strong, and you_ _ **don't**_ _want to mess with them!"_

Silver clenched his fist.

" _That is all I have to say for today, folks. The Onyx City Council and I will continue to spread order throughout our city. And if you ever think about rebelling again…_ _ **we'll spread order… and chaos!**_ _"_

Silver couldn't take much more of this, so he turned off the TV.

Rubbing his face, he sighed. "Dr. Nega is so full of himself! How dare he come here and act like he's our savior? He's nothing but a ruthless dictator!"

Feeling angry, the white hedgehog took a deep breath. "I just hope the professor can dig up the Time Stone we found in the garden. According to legend, that stone is one of seven artifacts originating on Little Planet. If one finds a stone, all they have to do is shout Chronos Control and they can travel back in time. I've time-traveled before, but they were through portals made by the professor. This time, I have a stone to get me back and forth through time and space. I hope it still works."

Suddenly, a set of three robots came into the room. There was a blue model, a red model, and a yellow model. All of them were no bigger than Silver's fingers and they looked just like Sonic.

These creatures were called Bits.

They motioned to Silver and spoke in binary code. Even though he didn't know what they were saying, Silver recognized their motions and followed them.

Together, they walked into a laboratory where a man was banging a stone fragment with a hammer.

It was a tall, male figure with turquoise skin and orange/light orange hair. For attire, he had round-shaped glasses and a lab coat that was blue, white, and yellow.

"Hello, Professor Von Schlemmer," Silver greeted.

The turquoise-skinned professor and turned to him, greeting him with his slight German accent. "Sei gegrüßt, Silver. How are you?"

"I'm okay at best," the hedgehog rubbed his arm. "How are things going with the Time Stone?"

"Zis thing should be out of here in Drei… Zwei… Un!"

Von Schlemmer slammed his hammer against the rock and a glowing yellow light filled the room. The yellow Time Stone was finally set free. The heroes gathered around it, as Von Schlemmer gently grabbed it and blew the dust off its surface.

"Ha-ha, we have done it!" he cheered. "Zis time stone will get you back to ze past, so you can stop zis disaster from happening!"

"Yeah," Silver gently took the gem from his mentor. "We can… wait a minute, did you say _I_ will go back to the past?"

Von Schlemmer nodded.

"W-w-what!?" the time-traveler gasped. "N-no! I can't leave without you! We're doing this together!"

"Zat was before zis whole situation took a worse for the turn. Or was it turn for the worse?" Von Schlemmer stroked his chin. "I can't remember."

"Professor, I'm not going to do this! I'm not leaving you to the Onyx City Council!" Silver exclaimed. "I… I… I _need_ you!"

The oddly skinned man smiled at the hedgehog's remark, so he leaned down and patted his shoulder. "Listen, Silver. You have time-traveled multiple times on your own. All I did was build ze portals needed for it. Zis is a Time Stone, which can help you travel faster. Besides, the City Council thinks I'm still one of zere own. If I leave, they'll become suspicious. We can't jeopardize zis mission, can we?"

Silver frowned, releasing that his mentor was right once again. "You're right, Professor… I promise I'll come back to you when this is over."

"I know you will."

 _ **THUD!**_

A loud noise was heard on the rooftop. It alarmed the residents.

Suddenly a red light sparked through the ceiling, forming the shape of a giant circle. Suddenly, a circular piece of debris fell from the ceiling. Silver pushed Von Schlemmer out of the way, as the debris crashed into the ground.

Silver and Von Schlemmer jumped off the ground and heard a loud stomp from behind. A shadowy figure stood in the smoke. When the smoke cleared, it revealed a black and yellow figure that both heroes knew too well…

…Dr. Nega's greatest creation: Metal Sonic 3.0.

Before the two can start fighting the robot, they heard a loud cackle come from above. Just then, an army of Civil Protection Drones came down from the ceiling and stood beside Metal Sonic 3.0. Then, a small hovercraft came into the laboratory.

Dr. Eggman Nega entered the scene and he was more than happy to see his "friends".

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Silver," Dr. Nega laughed. "And I see you've partnered yourself with a good friend of mine. I should have known you'd turn on me, Schlemmer!"

"Grab the gem, shout Chronos Control, and go to ze past," Von Schlemmer whispered to his friend. "I have business to take care of!"

Grabbing a screwdriver, Von Schlemmer twirled it and dove straight for the Civil Protection Drones. Metal Sonic 3.0. charged up his energy core and shot a beam of energy at Silver. The psychokinetic hedgehog gasped and used his powers to shield himself. He snapped his fingers and sent a set of boulders crashing into the robot. Silver slammed the rocks on top of the drone before Metal Sonic 3.0. blocked the last shot with his matrix shield. He boosted towards his rival.

Silver evaded to the side, kicking his metallic rival in the process.

As he fought valiantly, Silver glanced and saw his mentor being harassed by an army of robots. He gasped and shoved Metal Sonic 3.0 to the side, kicking him against the wall and burying him in a pile of rubble. Silver gripped the Time Stone in his hands, as he rushed towards the professor.

"Hang on, Professor!" he called.

"Silver, stay back!" Von Schlemmer replied, smacking a Civil Protection Drone across the face. Suddenly, the drones punched the professor's stomach. Silver clapped his hands together and created a psychokinetic bubble, which blasted the robots to smithereens.

"Professor, are you okay?" Silver grabbed Von Schlemmer's hand, pulling him up.

"I've had enough of this nonsense," Dr. Nega rolled his eyes. He pressed a button on his Egg Mobile and a large blaster popped out of the bottom. A red energy ball began to charge inside the core. It didn't take long for a streak of energy to shoot out of the blaster.

"Silver, look out!" Von Schlemmer pushed the psychokinetic hedgehog out of the way, taking the hit in the chest. Letting out a screech of agony, the German professor fell down on his stomach. Smoke came out of the side of his lab coat and his eyes were closed.

Silver gasped. " _NO!_ Professor!"

The white hedgehog leaped forward and held the unconscious professor in his arms, gently shaking him. "Professor, wake up! Professor, please!"

Suddenly, Metal Sonic 3.0 emerged from the debris he was buried under and slowly approached Silver.

Dr. Nega and the Civil Protection Drones surrounded the time-traveler.

"Aww, how sad," Dr. Nega chuckled. "An absent-minded professor sacrificing himself for a lost cause. Such a pity! Hand over the Time Stone, Silver before you meet the same fate!"

Silver placed Von Schlemmer on the ground and gripped the Time Stone. "As long as I still stand, Dr. Nega! You will _not_ rule this future! _Chronos Control!_ "

"No!" Dr. Nega shouted.

The last thing the scientist and his robot army saw was a flash of golden light.

* * *

 _~Present Day_

"Silver?... Silver?... _Silver!?_ "

Hearing the sound of Blaze's voice, Silver shook his head and got out of his trance. He realized he zoned out for a while, which caused him and Blaze's mission to be halted. Rubbing his eyes, he let out a small moan.

"Blaze, I'm so sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to distract you from the mission."

"Your health matters just as much to me, Silver," Blaze commented. "What's wrong?"

Silver took a deep breath, taking out the yellow Time Stone he got from the future. "In my future, I had a friend named Professor Von Schlemmer. He found me a Time Stone I used to get back to the past. We were going to go together, but he… he…" the white hedgehog frowned. "He was captured by Dr. Nega and his empire. I couldn't save him."

The lavender cat felt sorry for her close friend. She may not have known Professor Von Schlemmer, but from the way Silver spoke, she assumed that the two of them were close. She placed a hand on Silver's shoulder and let out a soft smile. "Silver, that wasn't your fault. Obviously, Von Schlemmer sacrificed himself just so you can go back in time and prevent this disaster from happening."

"But he'd be disappointed to know that I didn't. I couldn't stop Eggman's bomb."

"None of us could. We all thought that Sonic was dead, but now, Sonic's alive. And we have a plan to travel through the multiverse, find the missing Chaos Emeralds, and awaken the Super Emeralds. That has to mean something to you, right?"

Silver gazed into Blaze's orangish eyes and smiled. "It does. The fact Knuckles formed this resistance means a lot to me. And now that Sonic's alive and we have a plan like you said, I know we're going to save the future!"

"Right… but let's focus on saving Knuckles' friend, Tikal first."

"Of course."

Before the two can enter the facility, they heard something ruffling through the bushes. Stopping, they turned around and looked at the dark forest that sat behind them. One of the bushes was moving. There was no wind where they were, so that couldn't be a reason as to why the bushes were acting up. Suddenly, a pair of red eyes emerged from the darkness, staring at both combatants.

Silver and Blaze took a few steps back, wondering what was lying in the shadows.

Just then, the shadowy figure came out of the bushes and revealed himself to be…

…Metal Sonic. _**(2)**_

"Yikes!" Silver exclaimed, as he and Blaze evaded to opposite sides.

Metal Sonic attempted to scratch them with his claws, but he missed. Instead, he skidded across the floor and stopped near the facility's doorstep. Glaring at both Secret Strikers, he leaned upward and chuckled.

"Silver the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat," Metal Sonic spoke. "I'm disappointed that Sonic couldn't be here with you, but I guess you two will do just fine."

As soon as the white hedgehog laid eyes on Metal Sonic, all he could picture was that moment Von Schlemmer was knocked unconscious. Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, Silver's hands began to spark a cyan glow. Blaze cracked her knuckles and her fists ignited with fire.

"You took Von Schlemmer away from me!" Silver roared, as he was the first to charge forward. Without any hesitation, he landed multiple punches and blows across Metal Sonic's face. Blaze joined in the fight and shot a wave of fire at the robot. She spun around, forming a blazing tornado, and knocked Metal Sonic against the wall. Silver clapped his hands and summoned two large trees. He was about to crush Metal Sonic into next week before the robot deflected the attack with his black Matrix Shield.

"Darn it!" Silver grunted.

Metal Sonic deactivated his shield and he snapped his fingers. An aura of yellow and orange electricity formed around his body.

"Maximum Overdrive!" Metal Sonic shouted, as he boosted forward.

Blaze and Silver deflected the blast with their powers and pushed him back.

Metal Sonic skidded across the floor before Blaze landed a fiery uppercut against his chin. "That's for hurting Sonic six months ago!"

"And this for our world!" Silver slammed a boulder on top of the robot's body.

Metal Sonic broke through the boulder and shot waves of energy at Silver and Blaze, knocking them back. "You two fight like you have a chance to win. It's adorable! Soon enough, the Secret Strikers will fall before the might of the Eggman Empire! All that will be left in this world… is metal!"

" _BE. QUIET!_ " Silver shouted, as he bashed himself into Metal Sonic's chest. _**(2s) (3)**_

* * *

While Team Feral Strike and other soldiers in the resistance engage the Eggman Empire, Knuckles, Amy, Chaos, and the Chaotix were making their way towards Dr. Eggman's Research Facility. Not only did they hope to meet up with Silver and Blaze, but they also hoped they'd rescue Tikal before something terrible happened to her. But the only way to get to the laboratory was through a large water slide.

Knuckles, Amy, and Chaos were in front.

And Team Chaotix was in the back.

"Whooo hooo!" Charmy cheered. "This is so awesome!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick!" Vector cupped his hands over his mouth.

"Chill out, Vector," the bee chuckled. "It's just like those water parks we go to!"

"And there's a reason why we don't go to water parks!"

"How far are we from the factory?" Espio inquired.

"We shouldn't be too far," Amy replied. "Once we get past this section, there should be another slide that will take us to the facility."

"Once we get there, we'll ambush Eggman's army," Knuckles said.

"Let's focus on getting out of this contraption first!" Vector moaned. He felt like losing his lunch.

Suddenly, loud thuds came from behind the Secret Strikers. Espio was the first one to turn around. "Guys, we've got company."

An army of Motobugs was rolling down the slide, heading towards the heroes.

Instead of clobbering them to bits, the Secret Strikers bumped into the Badniks and knocked them over the slide's edge. Chaos grabbed a set of Motobugs, slammed them together, and chucked them into the water below. The Secret Strikers swerved to the right of the slide before they suddenly came across a waterfall; however, on the other side was a platform. Curling their knees, the Secret Strikers waited until they got to the edge and made their leap of faith.

They landed on the platform and ran down a pathway, encountering more enemies in their sight.

"I hope Silver and Blaze are holding their own in the factory," Amy said. "Has anyone heard from them?"

"Blaze contacted me not too long ago," Espio answered, kicking an Egg Pawn in the face. "She and Silver are fighting Metal Sonic as we speak. I offered them backup, but they refused."

"Too bad Metal Sonic's a robot," Charmy folded his arms. "He can't feel pain when I sting him."

"Let's pray that Blaze and Silver will catch up with us soon," Amy replied. "The next waterslide's coming up here!"

Jumping onto the next water slide, the Secret Strikers dealt with the same problem as before; Motobugs that tried to throw them off course. But there was another obstacle in their path. The slide was split into three sections and the edges of each section were covered in thorns.

"Yowch!" Charmy squealed. "Don't wanna bump into those!"

"Split up!" Espio called.

Knuckles and Amy went to the left.

Chaos dove towards the middle.

And Team Chaotix took to the right.

All three groups trailed down the same slide before they came across a pool of water below the end of the slide. But an army of Buzz Bombers was waiting to ambush them. Everyone looked at the army of insects, noticing that they lead to the top of a mountain, which is where Dr. Eggman's facility was located.

Knuckles and Amy pounced onto the Buzz Bombers.

Chaos shot his arms upward and swung from the trees.

And Charmy handed Espio and Vector magic rings called Sling Rings. He fluttered his rings and carried them upward. Espio threw daggers at the Buzz Bombers whereas Vector smacked and chomped the bee robots in half.

Eventually, everyone made it on top of the platform.

Standing in front of them was Dr. Eggman's Research Facility.

"Tikal should be close by," Knuckles said. "Chaos, you ready to rescue our friend?"

The God of Destruction nodded.

"Good. Stick together, Secret Strikers. I'm not sure what's in there."

"Let's hope the Illusionary Legion don't get the jump on us," Espio said.

"I'm hoping to teach that Zavok guy a lesson," Vector clapped his fists.

"Please don't let that jackal be in there," Charmy gulped. "He's scary."

"Don't worry, Charmy," Amy smiled. "If Infinite's in there, I'll protect you."

"Thanks, Amy."

"Come on, guys," Knuckles stretched his arms. "Let's do it to it!"

The Secret Strikers marched inside the facility, unaware of what awaited them from the inside.

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 21**_

* * *

 _Silver and Blaze are stuck in a fight with Metal Sonic while the Secret Strikers make their way towards Tikal? Can they save her without any obstacles in their path? Will Silver and Blaze be able to get inside and help their friends? Find out next time, as the battle for the Mystic Jungle continues in..._

 _"Chapter 22: Saving Private Tikal"._

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _I know this chapter wasn't anything special (I'm saving all of the good stuff for Chapter 22), but I thought I would make this one shorter just so the next one can be longer. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed what I wrote for you guys._

 _Since Infinite had his boss battle in the Arsenal Pyramid through Chapters 19-20, I gave the spotlight to Metal Sonic here. But instead of the Blue Blur being present, I obviously added Silver and Blaze. Speaking of Silver, his future is based off how it is in Archie Sonic Universe Issue 79-82: The Silver Age. In the games, Onyx Island is a future version of Angel Island. It's like that in the Post-SGW Comics, but Onyx City is Archie's own creation to my knowledge. Since it doesn't explain if Onyx City is on top of Onyx Island, I decided to make the two connected._

 _Speaking of comics (and some AOSTH Fans), you may recognize Professor Von Schlemmer. In the comics, he's attempted to show the Onyx City Council his theories on Genesis Portals and their links to dimensional travel, but they never listened to him because they're jerks. So, Von Schlemmer, Silver, and a character named Gold the Tenrec decided to put a stop to their plans. They awaken a monster in the process, but that's a story for another day._

 _As always, thank you all so much for taking the time to read. Don't forget to R &R! I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	22. Saving Private Tikal

_**A/N:** Hi, everyone! Welcome back to another chapter of Sonic Heroes: The Atom Bomb. Before we jump in, let me just say I'll be switching back and forth from updating A Superstar Adventure (my Mario Odyssey rewrite) and this story. Then, there will be a point where I'll take a break from both to work on my original series: The Sensational Night Shadow on FictionPress. If you wish to read Night Shadow, I'll be really happy. My username on that site is "The Spectacular SpiderDom". _

_This chapter is more exciting than the other one, as we see more battles as well as character interactions. But I'll let you guys judge for yourselves._

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Metal Sonic Boss - Sonic 4 Episode 2 OST_**

 ** _(2) Metal Sonic Boss Battle - Sonic Forces OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **Saving Private Tikal**

Upon entering the factory, Knuckles, Amy, Chaos, and the Chaotix were stuck in a dark room with a glowing cyan light at the end of the tunnel. Amy had her hammer in hand, Espio twirled his Kunai, Vector clapped his fists, and Chaos was filled with vengeance. He and Tikal shared a close connection, so he was angry at the fact he was forced to work for the Illusionary Legion so that Dr. Eggman wouldn't do anything horrible to Tikal. Now that he's resigned from the regime, he was worried that something bad happened to his best friend. The mutated Chao clenched his fists. To which, Knuckles noticed.

"Chaos, are you okay?" he asked. "I know you and Tikal are close, but if we want to get her back safely, we have to be careful. The Secret Strikers have seen a lot of stuff throughout the past six months, which made us learn not to underestimate Eggman. So, I'm asking you… please, be careful."

Chaos turned to the red guardian and nodded.

Amy smirked. "You know, Knuckles, it's amazing how much you've grown over the years. Back then, you were about punching first and asking questions later. Now, it's a little bit of the opposite. You _can_ be impulsive at times, but ever since you took command of the resistance, you've grown quite a bit. I'm proud of you."

" _Heh_ , thanks, Amy," Knuckles smiled. "I had you, Sonic, Tails, and others to help me out over the years."

"I hate to interrupt," said Espio. "But we're getting closer to that light. I suggest we proceed with caution."

"Right," Knuckles nodded.

Upon entering the light at the end of the tunnel, the Secret Strikers came across a room.

The area was filled with nothing but glowing tubes that housed blue wires and suspicious cyan liquid. Inside the capsules were gems that looked exactly like the Phantom Ruby. Everyone was amazed by the number of rubies that were housed in the tubes. Everyone except Chaos took some time to explore the variants of the Phantom Ruby. Some of them were the same as the original, but others had different shapes. For example, three of them were shaped like squares and four were shaped like triangles. The Chaotix did some investigating.

Well, Espio and Vector were doing all of the studying because Charmy was making funny faces towards his reflection.

Vector nudged the bee.

"What is all of this?" Amy inquired.

"Eggman must've been doing experiments on the Phantom Ruby," Knuckles replied.

"He's a madman," Espio commented. "The Phantom Ruby is already messing with the multiverse. Imagine what the multiverse will be like if _thousands_ of Phantom Rubies were being used."

"I don't think these things work," Vector stroked his chin. "They look like cheap-knockoffs. In other words, they might be prototypes."

"But why would Eggman make prototypes when he has the _real_ Phantom Ruby?" Amy inquired.

"He was probably making prototypes to give to Infinite," Espio answered. "Remember, he has a Phantom Ruby of his own. He was probably trying to replicate the power of the original and place it into a version made for Infinite. But I wonder why he would keep them instead of destroying them."

"If I were Eggman, I'd get rid of the ones that wouldn't work," Vector chimed on.

"Hey, guys!" Charmy pointed onward. "I see someone over there!"

The Secret Strikers marched towards the bee and looked where he was pointing. Gasping with amazement, they motioned to Chaos and he joined them.

All of them were looking at the spirit of Tikal herself, who was trapped in a capsule filled with magenta liquid. Her arms and legs were trapped by green wires and watching her were Orbot and Cubot. The two lackeys were talking to their boss, Dr. Eggman.

" _Have the Secret Strikers infiltrated the base yet?"_ the doctor inquired.

"Not that we know if, Doctor," Orbot replied. "They're outside the jungle fighting against your army. I have to admit, even without members like Sonic, they're _still_ decimating your army."

" _Do you think I don't know that!?"_ Dr. Eggman hollered. _"Just make sure the Secret Strikers don't get ahold of that orange echidna! The last thing I would want is to lose a future member of the Illusionary Legion!"_

Chaos clenched his fists once he heard that.

"What's the point?" Cubot inquired. "Chaos is already resigned from the Illusionary Legion. Why make Tikal an ally when she's a ghost? What can she do? Ghost punch people?"

Dr. Eggman facepalmed. _"Just make sure you don't let the Secret Strikers into the base!"_

"Understood, Doctor," Orbot nodded.

Both drones hung up the call.

"I almost feel bad doing this, Orbot," Cubot rubbed his head. "But at the same time, I'm confused. How can you make a ghost evil?"

"Through the power of machinery, I guess," Orbot replied.

Chaos and the Secret Strikers suddenly emerged from the shadows.

"I'm gonna give you two one small chance," Knuckles cracked his namesakes. "Either let Tikal go or you won't live to see tomorrow."

"Knuckles, Chaos," Tikal smiled. "You guys came!"

"So, is this like your girlfriend or something?" Charmy asked.

"No! She's my ancestor!" Knuckles replied.

"Oh, sorry, my bad."

Orbot and Cubot cowered away from the resistance and they were surrounded by Team Chaotix. Amy rushed towards the computer and tried to find a way of releasing Tikal. Knuckles and Chaos approached the capsule.

"Tikal, are you okay?" Knuckles inquired.

"I'm okay, Knuckles," Tikal answered happily. "I'm glad you and Chaos came."

Chaos motioned to the echidna girl via sign language.

"Chaos, I know you're sorry for joining the Illusionary Legion," she smiled. "And I forgive you. You had no other choice. All you wanted to do was protect me… I should be the one who's sorry. I detest violence, so I couldn't defend myself against the Phantom Ruby's illusions. I'm the one who put you through this, Chaos, and I'm truly sorry."

Chaos shook his head and motioned to her again, telling her she has nothing to be sorry for.

Tikal chuckled. "Thank you, Chaos,"

"Amy, how's the breakout coming along?" Knuckles asked.

"Surprisingly, I'm having a hard time accessing the Eggnet," Amy replied. "Normally, the password would just be _'password'_ but Eggman must've upgraded his systems since we last fought him."

"Amy, look out!" Vector pushed the pink hedgehog out of the way, as something slashed the computer in half. The two fell onto the floor and were helped up by Knuckles and Espio. Charmy screamed and flew behind his team. Everyone looked up and saw a set of familiar figures…

…Chief Pachacamac and the Knuckles Clan of Angel Island.

"Oh, great," Knuckles grunted. "Not these guys again."

"Again?" Espio asked. "You've met them before?"

"I've met illusions of these guys six months ago," Knuckles replied. "Silver and Blaze came to my island to warn me about Eggman's attack. That's when the Phantom Ruby made illusions of these guys. It was the moment Tikal was captured and Chaos joined Eggman's regime. I should've known I'd see these guys again."

"You're a traitor to our clan," Pachacamac snarled. "How dare you rebel against the might of Lord Eggman?"

"Yep, totally illusions," Charmy folded his arms.

"I'm still offended that you do not wear our clan's garb," Pachacamac grunted.

"Well, you see," Knuckles answered. "Over the years, it's begun customary for _females_ to wear clothes than most _males_."

The Secret Strikers quietly stared at Knuckles.

"Knuckles," Espio said, facepalming. "Please take a moment to figure out what you just said."

"I've had enough of this!" Pachacamac raised his staff. "Get them!" _**(1)**_

* * *

Elsewhere, Silver and Blaze still fought bravely against Metal Sonic. The robotic hedgehog was zooming around the forest with his Burst Shield, an aura of red, orange, and yellow energy. He attempted to crash into the duo multiple times, but thanks to their combined powers, they were able to throw him off course.

Blaze spun around and kicked Metal Sonic out of his defensive state, giving Silver a chance to bash into him with a Spin Dash. But as soon as he hit the robot, Silver felt pain through his head. He winced in agony and fell onto the ground.

Metal Sonic landed on his back.

And the lavender cat comforted her friend. "Silver, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Silver rubbed his head. "Sorry. I've never been used to spin dashing before."

"No offense, but you're a hedgehog, you _should_ be able to do one, right?"

"Eh, just because I'm a hedgehog doesn't mean I can do things Sonic and Shadow can."

Metal Sonic jumped on his feet. "You two fight well, but I can detect anger in one of you. I should let you know what rage is a fuel that burns quickly."

"A supervillain giving advice on combat?" Blaze folded her arms. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"Clearly, you have some anger towards me, Silver," Metal Sonic commented. "Which doesn't make sense. You and I have never shared many interactions… unless if I did something to hurt you in the future, that is. _Heh_ , could that be the reason you're angry?"

Silver clenched his fists and he gritted his teeth.

"Something tells me the Eggman Empire rules for over 200 years into the future," Metal Sonic continued. "And something also tells me I commit an act that ticks you off. Let me guess, I took away someone close to you, didn't I? Is that why you're so angry? Because you _failed_ to save someone you care about?"

" _SHUT UP!_ " Silver boosted forward in a fit of rage. His hands ignited a cyan glow and his eyes popped out of his sockets. He was ready to strike right before Metal Sonic blocked him with his black Matrix shield.

"Rage can also lead to one's weakness," Metal Sonic chuckled, as he broke away from his shield and blasted Silver in the stomach. "Your anger will not help you win this fight!" He grabbed the hedgehog, spun him around, and slammed him against the facility's wall. "Surrender yourself now or else!"

Blaze charged to the robot and blasted him with a streak of fire. She also fired multiple punches and kicks that pushed the robot away from her ally. Metal Sonic grunted and tackled the lavender cat, flying into the air with her in his clutches.

"Blaze!" Silver called with a cough.

From below, he watched as Blaze broke free from Metal Sonic's control and the two fought in the sky. Rays of fire and energy flew through the air and so were an armada of attacks. Blaze deflected most of Metal Sonic's blows and countered with a few of her own. She snarled and grabbed Metal Sonic by his face. Slamming her knee against his chest, she pulled her arm back and chucked Metal Sonic towards the ground.

 _ **KRAKOOM!**_

A large crater indicated that the robot faceplanted into the grass.

Silver was amazed by the amount of strength Blaze had to show off, as the princess gently flew down in front of him.

"Silver, you need to be more careful next time," Blaze commented. "You could've gotten yourself killed."

"S-sorry, Blaze," Silver rubbed his head. "I just… I just…"

"As I told you before, what happened to your friend wasn't your fault. He did this for you. You can't forget that."

The white hedgehog frowned. "Right."

Metal Sonic suddenly awoke from his slumber.

Blaze and Silver leaped back.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" Silver facepalmed.

"You've got power within you, Blaze," Metal Sonic sneered. "But pyrokinesis won't be enough to save you from-"

 _ **KABLAM! (1s)**_

Storm the Albatross landed a heavy hit against Metal Sonic's face, sending the robot crashing against a set of trees. The large trees fell over and Metal Sonic tumbled across the ground. Behind the albatross were his teammates: Jet the Hawk and Wave the Swallow.

"Nice work, Storm," Wave said sarcastically. "You just knocked down a piece of the environment."

"I can't help it," Storm clapped his fists. "The trees were in my way."

"Just shut up and grab those chemical rods," Jet demanded.

"Roger that, Jet!" the albatross saluted, as he opened the door and raced inside.

Silver and Blaze approached the two birds.

"Sometimes I forget you three are part of this team," Blaze placed a hand on her hip.

"Eh, don't get used to it," Jet shrugged. "We're only here because we're getting the Chaos Emeralds in return."

"Which won't happen," Silver snarled.

"Pardon?"

"You three are a bunch of no-good thieves!" Silver snarled, poking Jet's chest. "I don't what Sonic and Tails were thinking when they said they'd give you the Chaos Emeralds when this ends! We all know you're just going to sell them for a profit! Well, I say that when this war ends, I'll be coming after you and you'll hand _me_ the Chaos Emeralds!"

"Silver," Blaze tried to intervene.

But the hedgehog continued his tangent. In the process, Storm came out the back door with the chemical rods in his hand. With them were a set of Star Posts: two golden poles with red spheres that had a golden star embedded in the center.

"I got the rods, Boss," Storm said. "I found these things too. I thought the little fox could use them."

"The only reason you guys are here is because we need help saving the world!" Silver resumed his rant. "But even in the event of a dire crisis, all you care about is yourself!"

"Sheesh, kid, calm down," Wave rolled her eyes. "Scream one more time and you'll explode."

"Does the little baby need a diaper change?" Storm mocked the hedgehog. "Wha, wha, wha! I'm a hedgehog from the future and I don't like you guys because you steal things! Wha, wha, wha!"

Silver gritted his teeth and his whole body ignited a cyan light. "I'm gonna pluck all three of you bald!"

"Silver the Hedgehog!" Blaze hollered. "That's enough!"

Glancing at his close friend, the psychokinetic time-traveler halted. His body reverted back to normal and he lowered his head in shame. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and looked at the lavender cat.

"I'm sorry, Blaze," Silver said again, rubbing his arm.

"You need to relax, Silver," Blaze said. "I'm with you and the Rogues being no-good bandits, but they're helping us. We have to appreciate that whether we like it or not. I'm not sure what Sonic and Tails plan to do with the emeralds and the Rogues, but I have faith that they know what they're doing."

"Are we done here?" Jet shrugged again. "All of this emotional talk is making me tired."

"Then perhaps you would prefer a little action?" the voice of Metal Sonic spoke up. The robotic hedgehog emerged from the shadows. Around his body were swarms of magenta cubes. He controlled them with the movement of his fingers.

"What the?" Wave raised an eyebrow.

"A fake?" Blaze inquired.

"No, _I'm_ the real deal," Metal Sonic chuckled. "When some of us joined the Illusionary Legion, Infinite used the Phantom Ruby to give us a boost of power. Of course, Shadow and Chaos never got this upgrade since they resigned. But for me…"

Suddenly, the cubes formed around Metal Sonic's body. With that came sparks of blue and black electricity. The Babylon Rogues, Silver, and Blaze backed away before the cubes suddenly vanished, revealing a massive change to the robot's appearance.

Metal Sonic was much taller and bulkier.

He looked to be the size of a mountain and the size of his claws proved that. He extended said claws and glared at the heroes.

Jet and Storm shared a glance before they chuckled at the robot. Wave was a bit nervous. And Silver and Blaze were sick of the robot.

"You think having a growth spurt makes you stronger?" the green hawk scoffed. "Wow, you're such a big deal. Storm, sick em', will ya?"

"With pleasure, Boss," Storm clapped his knuckles. But as he raced towards Metal Sonic, he was suddenly trapped in a field of magenta electricity. He was lifted off his Extreme Gear and he hovered upward.

Soon, Silver, Blaze, Jet, and Wave met the same fate.

"Your resistance is futile," Metal Sonic chuckled.

With a quick snap from his fingers, Metal Sonic sent all five heroes flying backward over the facility.

Every single one of them free-fell until they landed on something hard yet soft at the same time. But the strangest thing was that they didn't fall on a normal ground. Instead, they landed on something that moved around like a creature. Speaking of which, the Babylon Rogues looked to the side and saw that they were riding on something with large, reptile-like scales. Wave looked in front of her and gasped…

…the heroes were riding a giant snake.

"S-s-snake!?" Wave gasped.

"Snake, where!?" Storm jumped into Jet's arms, falling on top of him. "I hate snakes!"

"Get off of me, you idiot!" Jet shoved the grey-feathered albatross off of him.

Suddenly, Metal Sonic reappeared in front of the heroes. "Now that we're in a nice change of scenery, let's get this over with, shall we?"

Silver and Blaze were filled with determination.

The Babylon Rogues shared gulps.

"Metal Sonic, I'm growing tired of this!" Silver scowled. "Let's end this once and for all!"

* * *

On the other side of the battlefield, Gadget and Dakota lead the resistance soldiers down the course of the jungle. With them was Gadget's girlfriend: Fuchsia, and their best friend: Corvin. Together, all four heroes used their Wispons to strike down a horde of enemies. Everyone else fired turquoise lasers from their blasters. It was a spectacle to see humans and Mobians working together to take back their home from Dr. Eggman, but they knew that the road wouldn't be easy. As they all exchanged battle cries, cheers, and fist-bumps, they joined Team Feral Strike into war.

"Coming through!" Corvin announced, as he drilled underground and penetrated through a set of Egg Walkers. "I really don't like these bird Badniks. All they do is run away."

"I think they're kinda cute in a weird sort of way," Fuchsia commented, sucking up an army of enemies through a wormhole. "Maybe we should take them back and reprogram them as our pets! Gadget, what do you think? You can do that, right?"

"M-maybe," Gadget chuckled, rubbing his head. "But I'd rather focus on destroying the hostile ones first."

"Okay, but when my birthday comes up soon, let this be an idea for my present."

"Whatever you say, Babe,"

Dakota chuckled at the couple's playful banter, as he ducked below Egg Pawns' energy blasts and slashed them into pieces. He also blew them away with his Hover Wispon.

"Keep this up, gang!" he called. "We need to buy Commander Knuckles and everyone else some time!"

 _ **SLAM!**_

" _Argh!_ " the teal wolf fell down on his side after being hit with a random hammer.

"Dakota!" Gadget and Fuchsia shouted, as they ran towards their leader. Helping him up on his feet, they glanced over and saw a Super Badnik in the form of an Egg Hammer: large purple Badniks that were known for carrying gigantic hammers. There were two of them in their path.

"Crud!" The pinkish cat gulped.

"Not to worry," Gadget smirked. "I got this!"

But before the red wolf can make a move, he heard a familiar voice from above.

"The God of Thunder heeds Team Feral Strike's call!"

"Oh, no… I know who _that_ is," Gadget moaned.

Clay the Rabbit, Skylar the Bear, Buster the Dog, and Emma the Hedgehog dropped down from above and landed on top of the two Badniks. Clay and Emma bashed one Egg Hammer's head in with their Wispons whereas Skylar and Buster ripped out its circuits. But instead of destroying it, Skylar reprogrammed it to be on her side. Now, an Egg Hammer fought alongside Team Feral Strike.

"Oh, yeah!" Skylar cheered. "You want some of this, Eggman!? Whoooo hoooo!"

Moving the Egg Hammer to the right, it swung its hammer, nearly hitting a few soldiers below.

"Hey!" a pig called angrily.

"Oops," Skylar chuckled nervously, adjusting her glasses. "Sorry!"

Clay performed and standing front flip, landing in front of the cat and the two wolves. "The God of Thunder hungered for justice after his dramatic return from the Arsenal Pyramid. Of course, he didn't expect to-"

"Dude, seriously!? Shut up!" Gadget grunted. "No one wants to hear you monologue! Didn't Sonic teach you about that last night?"

"I'm not monologuing," Clay smirked, leaning against his hammer. "I'm just referring to myself as the warrior I am. Of course, it makes sense for you to be jealous considering you cannot be worthy like _I_ can."

"What do you mean not worthy?" Gadget snarled in a confused tone. "You _can't_ control thunder! That _hammer_ doesn't have that ability! It just makes cubes!"

" _Thunder_ cubes!"

" _What!?_ That doesn't even make sense!"

"Easy there, little brother," Dakota chimed in. "Clay, what happened at the Arsenal Pyramid? And please, refrain from monologuing."

"The Babylon Rogues got the generator we needed," Clay replied. "We also found out some interesting info on Infinite. We also found out Dr. Eggman has a plan that's happening in three days."

"Wow, I guess you picked up a lot," Dakota nodded. "You'll have to tell us later. Right now, we have a forest to liberate. Come on, Team Feral Strike, let's move!"

Dakota and Fuchsia took off into battle with the others.

Clay stared into the night sky and twirled his hammer. "The Eggman Empire shall feel my power!"

But before he took off, Gadget grabbed him by the shoulder. "Hold on a second, Clay. We need to talk."

"Care to express more jealously towards my power?"

"No… I want to say that I remember you."

"Excuse me?"

"You and I went to Mobotropolis Middle School together. We were in the same filmmaking class."

"Oh, yeah! I remember you! You made that cool Sci-Fi movie with the aliens! That one creature with the three heads still scares me!"

Gadget chuckled. "It's all in the power of puppetry. But anyway, I remember the teacher saying you were one of the most creative students in that class. Your films were filled with what I like to call the three Ds: Diligence, Determination, and Dedication. You were quite a creative talent."

"Why thank you," Clay took a bow. "I'm always eager to meet a fan."

"But I also remember you not being so full of yourself," Gadget folded his arms. His comment took the rabbit off guard. "You were always there to help out others, including myself, with special effects and other editing functions. Then, out of nowhere, you dropped the whole creative thing and started acting like you had the powers of Mobian Gods. Which brings me to my query… how do you go from a creative, kind-hearted person to a narcissist who's _clearly_ pretending to be somebody he's not?"

With that last question, Gadget joined his brother…

…leaving Clay to feel sorry for himself.

Back in the Arsenal Pyramid, he remembered being asked a similar question by Buster (only it wasn't so blunt). The rabbit watched his three best friends march off into battle and he observed his former classmate assist his brother and his girlfriend. All Clay did was sit there with his hammer in hand. Lowering his head in shame, he briefly closed his eyes and slowly walked into the battlefield.

Before his battle began, the last thing he said was, "Maybe if I wasn't such a failure, I wouldn't _be_ this way."

* * *

"Heads up, Espio!" the crocodile exclaimed, as he socked an Angel Island resident across the jaw. He ducked below another one's spear and performed the same attack. The chameleon was grateful for his boss's help, as he leaped over a set of echidnas and kicked them down with ease.

"Thanks, Vector," he replied, as he fenced with an echidna's spear thanks to his twin daggers. "We're not getting anywhere fighting these guys! There has to be a way to stop them!"

Charmy flew around, stinging multiple clansmen in their rears.

Amy and Knuckles assisted Chaos in fending off the crowd.

"Espio's right," Amy nodded in agreement, swarming enemies with a Pink Tornado. "We have to rescue Tikal and get out of here! If only the computer wasn't destroyed."

"Then, we'll have to rescue Tikal the old-fashioned way," Knuckles nodded. He and Chaos rushed towards the capsule before they were halted by the sight of Chief Pachacamac, who slammed the ground with his spear, creating magenta shockwaves that shooed the resistance backward.

Chaos jumped up and grabbed the old chief by his sides. He slammed him on the ground and chucked him into a set of testing tubes, cracking the Phantom Ruby prototypes onto the ground. Fragments scattered across the floor, as Pachacamac jumped back up and growled.

"Do not stop fighting, my clan!" he ordered. "Make this traitor pay for fighting alongside a God of Destruction!"

Chaos extended his claws and dove bomb into a set of Knuckles Clansmen. He picked them up, slammed them on the ground, kicking them, thrashed upon them, and made sure the replicas suffered his true wrath. These replicas were made by the same people that kidnapped Tikal, so Chaos felt that justice needed to be served. And no one faulted him for that.

Knuckles and Amy fought off a few clansmen.

"What were you saying about the old-fashioned way, Knux?" Amy inquired.

"Huh? Oh, right."

Knuckles pulled his fist back and shattered the glass container that housed his ancestor. A pile of liquid poured onto the ground. Since they were robotic and sensitive to water, Orbot and Cubot backed away.

"Ah, man!" Cubot moaned. "That's gonna be a pain to clean up!"

Cutting Tikal free, Knuckles backed away and watched her jump down. She might have been in an astral form, but she felt exhausted.

"Are you okay, Tikal?" Knuckles inquired.

"I'm fine," Tikal panted. "Thank you, Knuckles. I-look out!"

With Team Chaotix distracted by an army of echidnas, Pachacamac and other soldiers surrounded Knuckles, Amy, and Tikal. In the background, Chaos was being dogpiled by an army that came out of thin air. The maroon-furred chief snarled and aimed his spear at Knuckles' chin.

"I'll kill this entire band of combatants, starting with you!"

Before Pachacamac can finish the job…

 _ **BASH!**_

…something came in through the ceiling.

Sonic the Hedgehog, Lil' Blue, and Miles "Tails" Power landed on top of Pachacamac's army.

"Sorry we're late," Lil' Blue joked. "Traffic was terrible."

"Sorry to bash your ancestors like this, Knux," Sonic said. "I hope there're no hard feelings."

"Not at all," Knuckles smiled. "They're fakes. So go as crazy as you want!"

"You had me at crazy," Sonic and Lil' Blue said at the same time. The two of them curled into balls and spun around the entire laboratory. They looked like pinballs bouncing off different obstacles in a pinball game. But instead of winning bonus points, they were whacking every echidna in their sight.

Espio, Vector, and Charmy took a step back, letting the two Sonics finish the job.

Tails swiped his namesakes underneath Pachacamac's feet, as Knuckles and Amy landed a twin uppercut. Once the chief fell onto the floor, Chaos punched him so hard in the chest that he evaporated into magenta cubes.

Both Sonics formed a blue tornado and sent the other echidnas back to where they came from.

They suddenly stopped and exchanged a fist bump.

"You're way past cool, Taller Sonic," Lil' Blue wiped his hands. "Of course, you had _my_ help."

"Wait, wait, wait, are you saying I couldn't have done this without you?" Sonic smirked, lightly punching his counterpart's arm. "That's a brash thing to say, little dude. Obviously, _I'm_ the fastest thing alive."

"That's not what the race we had on the way here said."

"You had a head start!"

Tails rolled his eyes.

"I assume everything went well at the pyramid?" Espio inquired.

"Yeah, it did," Tails answered. "The Babylon Rogues got the generator we needed, Sonic and the Rookies met up with Infinite, and Lil' Blue and I fought Dr. Eggman. Or I should say Egg- _Men_. Turns out, the Eggman from the Mania Zone came here during the multiverse collapse. He's working alongside _our_ Eggman."

"Two Eggmen for the price of one," Knuckles facepalmed. "Great."

"And that's not all," Tails added. "We also learned that Eggman has some kind of plan happening in three days."

"Three days, huh? Normally I'd laugh at an Eggman plan, but he's already conquered most of the world so…" Knuckles paused, taking a deep breath. "What's this plan of his?"

"Sadly, we didn't find that part out."

"But we _did_ find out part of Infinite's origin story," Sonic entered the conversation. "Turns out he's from the No Zone and the reason he has a grudge against me is to lure out Zonic."

"Zonic?" Vector raised an eyebrow.

"He's the No Zone version of me. He told me you met his associates: Zespio and Zector. They're the ones who told you I was alive. Anyways, Infinite didn't say much, but he _did_ tell me that he and his friends were banished here by Zonic and the Zone Cops."

"But why would they banish him _here?_ " Amy stroked her chin.

"It gets weirder," Sonic resumed his story. "Infinite said something about Eggman using the Phantom Ruby as a toy, but what got me was when he said that the Zone Cops were going to use the ruby to make dimensional travel faster."

"Wait, what?" Lil' Blue raised both of his eyebrows. "I thought the Phantom Ruby originated from _my_ zone?"

"Could it be possible that the Phantom Ruby was made in the No Zone?" Espio inquired. "If so, why didn't Zespio and Zector tell us when they arrived on Angel Island?"

"Maybe Infinite's lying," Charmy pointed. To which, everyone turned to him. "This may sound stupid, but maybe he's lying just to throw us off? I should know because a lot of bad guys do this in the comic books I read."

"That's what I thought at first," Sonic folded his arms. "Believe me, Infinite's good at spreading lies, but I think he was speaking the truth this time."

"We'll need to discuss later," Knuckles finally spoke. "Right now, we have a war to fight."

"The Babylon Rogues just reported that they got the chemical rods I need," Tails said. "Storm also found some Star Posts I could use, which was nice of him, to be honest; however, the Rouges, Silver, and Blaze are in the middle of a fight against a giant Metal Sonic. And from the way Wave described it, Metal Sonic seems ticked!"

"Then, I better go help them," Sonic got down in a punning position. So did Lil' Blue.

"Not if I help them first," Lil' Blue smirked. "Up, over, and _gone!_ "

With that, the Mania Zone resident took off at the speed of light.

"Oh, no you don't!" Sonic shook his head, following behind his counterpart.

Tails folded his arms and rolled his eyes again. He was approached by Team Chaotix and Vector placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, buddy. Are you still not getting along with Lil' Blue?"

"A little bit," Tails replied with a low sigh. "We _did_ work together against both Eggmen, but I still… I don't know. I _still_ can't bring myself to forgive him for what he said."

"We're all aware of the remarks he's made," Espio replied. "But he _is_ under a lot of stress. You can make an argument by saying _we're_ also under a lot of stress, but he is far away from his home. I don't blame him for being homesick."

"If I were him, I'd feel sad for being far from home," Charmy said.

"Right," the ninja nodded. "I know you don't like Lil' Blue, but I can tell he feels horrible for the comments he's made. Perhaps, if you two took some time to talk, he can explain that he wants to atone for his actions."

The twin-tailed kitsune scratched his head and nodded. "Thanks, guys. You always know what to say, Espio,"

"So do we," Vector pointed to Charmy and himself. "They don't call us Team Chaotix: Wisest Detective Agency for nothing."

"Nobody calls us that, Vector."

"Shut up, Espio, you're ruining my moment." _**(2)**_

* * *

On top of the moving snake, Silver, Blaze, and the Babylon Rogues were chasing after the giant Metal Sonic, who was surrounded by scraps of damaged Motobugs as well as Phantom Ruby cubes. The objects spun around his body and the robot was ready to strike back.

"Still thrashing around, Babylon Rogues?" he chuckled evilly. "I thought you three dropped off the face of the planet."

"Ain't nothin' stoppin' the Babylon Rogues," Jet smirked. "Come on, you Sonic wannabe! Let's see how fast you really are!"

Metal Sonic raised both of his hands into the air and shot a few of the cubes forward. They formed a straight line and attempted to hit the combatants. Silver and Blaze boosted through with their powers whereas the Babylon Rogues flew over them with their hoverboards. Suddenly, Metal Sonic clapped his hands and created a set of spikes that appeared on the snake. They rapidly rose from the ground and back inside. Silver and Blaze jumped over the spikes before the latter homing attacked the robot corpses that surrounded Metal's body.

Once she was finished, she landed a homing attack.

Silver shot a psychic wave.

And the trio of bandits boosted into him.

Tumbling backward, Metal Sonic recovered and shook his fists. Suddenly, he teleported and reappeared a few inches off the ground; he was high above the moving snake. Speaking of which, the heroes were about to fall off of the edge. Blaze and Silver flew upward towards Metal Sonic, as the Babylon Rogues jumped into the air, performing tricks on their air boards.

As soon as the cat and the hedgehog approached the robot, they discovered that he duplicated himself into a set of fifteen replicas. The thing about the clones was that they were regular-sized Metal Sonics, but they didn't mean they didn't pack a punch. They were about to fire their lasers at the duo before they were quickly incinerated by Blaze's fiery homing attack. Once she reached Metal Sonic himself, she boosted into him and tackled him back on top of the snake. Metal Sonic kicked her off of him and she was caught by Storm.

"Hey, babe," Storm flirted, making a seductive whistle. "Wanna ditch this place and come back with me?"

Blaze snapped her fingers, igniting a flame and holding it towards Storm's face.

"Okay, okay, okay!" the albatross cried. "Please, don't turn me into cheap fried chicken!"

Releasing Blaze, Storm watched her reunite with Silver.

"Was he just flirting with you?" Silver inquired.

"Don't ask," Blaze snarled in response, annoyed by Storm's flirtations.

As she and the hedgehog fought the powerful robot, Metal Sonic was shooting rays of cubes and other attacks at the Babylon Rogues. Of course, Jet was able to dodge them with ease, but Wave and Storm were having a hard time. Storm kept blocking the attacks with his Extreme Gear, which annoyed the swallow.

"Stop using the Gear as a shield, Storm!" she shouted.

"What do you want me to use, my fists!?"

"Anything that prevents me from fixing your Gear _again!_ "

Wave and Storm kept cruising around the snake, watching Silver and Blaze do most of the work. They observed their leader whip out his Bashosen, which allowed him to shoot a gust of wind at Metal Sonic.

As they fought, Wave stroked her chin. "This is more serious than I thought. Here I thought Dr. Eggman just conquered the world with a stupid little ruby, but with this multiverse nonsense happening, I'm starting to think we're way over our heads."

"How can we be over our heads?" Storm asked. "Our heads are on our bodies."

"That's not what I meant, you idiot! I _mean_ that we might've underestimated this job. We're not just stealing materials needed for Tails' portal, we're stealing materials and fighting bad guys with illusionary powers. Metal Sonic just made himself bigger, we raided the Battle Bird Armada to get our stuff back, and we briefly fought the Deadly Six, who can control machines. They had us surrounded, Storm, we could've been killed!"

"What's your point, Wave?"

"I'm saying… we may need to change our main priorities."

"Hey!" Jet hollered. "I'm glad you two are enjoying your talk back there! It's not like we could use your help or anything!"

Metal Sonic smacked Jet off his Extreme Gear.

"I got you, Boss!" Storm caught his leader in his hands.

Wave whipped out her large wrench and smacked Metal Sonic's face.

Silver and Blaze combined their powers together and boosted into him.

Like before, Metal Sonic tumbled across the snake before he recovered himself. "You have more fight in you than Sonic did six months ago. But let's see how long you'll last!"

"Payback time at last!" Silver snarled.

And just like earlier, Silver and Blaze boosted into Metal Sonic again. To which, the robot teleported and reappeared above the snake. The dynamic duo exchanged a nod and flew upward, where they were met with another set of clones that appeared in front of them. Unlike last time, they actually shot their projectiles at the heroes. Silver protected himself and Blaze with a cyan shield, but the lavender cat twirled around and penetrated through the replicas effortlessly.

Finally, she blasted into Metal Sonic's chest.

Suddenly, the robot began to spark blue electricity. But it wasn't anything coming from his new powers, it was because he was short-circuiting. His eyes began to glitch and his hands started to shake. "Impossible! Your abilities exceed your previous data!"

"Unlike soulless machines, I can grow!" Blaze replied with a smile. "My flames grow powerful every second!"

"Your pyrokinesis will not stop me, Blaze! My powers are still great! I will burn the Secret Strikers to ashes! Then, I will convince Dr. Eggman to destroy the Sol Zone, where you watch everything in your world burn!"

"What is it with bad guys and dragging out their one-liners?" Jet rolled his eyes, as he and the Rogues rode past Silver and Blaze. They were moving so fast that large amounts of wind were right behind them. Before Metal Sonic can retaliate, the Babylon Rogues finished the job.

Metal Sonic's systems slowly began to shut down and he descended towards the snake. Rolling across the ground like a dog roaming around a grassy field, Metal Sonic stopped once he landed on his side. His size reverted back to normal and his eyes began to glitch. Around his body were magenta cubes.

The Babylon Rogues landed on the ground, hopping off their boards. Joining them were Silver and Blaze.

Metal Sonic gave the fighters one last glare before he shut down completely. _**(2s)**_

"That takes care of that," Jet wiped his hands.

Sonic and Lil' Blue entered the scene.

"Hey! I won!" the former cheered.

"No way! I won!" the latter retorted.

"As if, I won-" Sonic said, but he stopped mid-sentence once he saw that everyone else dealt with Metal Sonic. "Hey, what's the big deal, guys? I wanted a shot at Metal Sonic."

"Perhaps, you're losing your touch, Sonic the Hedgehog," Jet smirked, folding his arms. "Maybe you should surrender your title and call _me_ the fastest thing alive."

"Sure, you are," Sonic and Lil' Blue smiled sarcastically. "Jinx!"

"We got the supplies you needed," Wave motioned to Storm, who held the supplies in his hands.

"Sweet!" Sonic gave a thumbs up. "We only need the Warp Ring before we can start searching for the Chaos Emeralds. Tikal's been saved by everyone else. We should be heading back to HQ. I need to fill you guys in about something."

"What's wrong?" Silver inquired.

"Well, I've got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that Eggman has a plan that's coming in three days. The good news is that we found out some crucial information regarding Infinite."

Silver and Blaze exchanged a curious glance. So did Wave and Storm. As with Jet, he didn't care.

"Follow me, guys," Sonic waved. "Let's get back to Angel Island!"

The two blue hedgehogs, Silver, Blaze, Jet, and Storm rushed off of the snake. But Wave stayed behind. Turning over her shoulder, she glanced at the destroyed Metal Sonic before she let out a low sigh. From the beginning, she assumed this would be a simple mission that required her natural talents, but after dealing with Dr. Eggman's army, she started to second guess herself.

"This is more important than it seems," she said to herself. She nodded before racing after her team. "As I said before, we need a change in priorities. But I'm not sure if Jet will agree with them. If he doesn't, I'll _make_ him agree with them!"

* * *

A few hours later, the Secret Strikers finally returned to Launch Base Zone on Angel Island. Greeting them were Uncle Chuck, Relic the Pika, Fixit the Gizoid, and Mina Mongoose. The female singer was about to treat the heroes with fresh-baked cookies, but she dropped the pan on the floor once they saw who was standing beside Sonic and Gemerl…

…it was her boyfriend: Ash Mongoose.

"A-Ash?"

"Mina!"

The two mongooses rushed towards one another and embraced each other with the biggest hug possible. Mina cried with tears of joy, as she buried her face into Ash's shoulder. Ash was crying tears of relief, as he did the same to his girlfriend's shoulder. The two hugged for a bit before they exchanged a kiss. Sonic and Lil' Blue were grossed out by the romantic moment whereas Amy cupped her hands together, feeling happy that a relationship was rekindled.

Speaking of rekindling, Cream and Gemerl were reunited with Vanilla, who showered them both with affection.

"Come on, Froggy," Big smiled, as he carried his friend across the room. "Let's go eat some cookies."

Sonic and Knuckles approached Uncle Chuck and Relic.

"Fruitful mission?" Relic smiled.

"If by that, you mean we got some of the supplies we need for the portal, then yes," Knuckles replied.

"I'm proud of you, my friends," Uncle Chuck smiled, as he and Sonic exchanged a secret handshake. "Especially you, my nephew. You don't know how much it means to me that you're taking back the world from Eggman."

"What do you mean, Unc?" Sonic asked with a chuckle. "I do this all the time."

"I know, but the circumstances are different this time, sonny boy," Uncle Chuck smiled, patting his nephew's head. "Just know that I'm proud of every single one of you."

"Thanks, Uncle Chuck. But we didn't just get the supplies, we discovered something about Eggman's plans and we learned a thing or two about Infinite."

The mustached hedgehog raised both of his eyebrows. The blue pika gasped as well.

"Really?" Uncle Chuck inquired. "What did you learn?"

Sonic and Knuckles exchanged a glance before they prepared to share what they've learned.

* * *

Inside a room in Metropolis, Infinite and Zomom were relaxing and sharing sandwiches with toasted bread and frozen yogurt. Sitting on the tables were cubes of hot chocolate. The bulky Zeti was asleep because of the number of calories he's consumed whereas the jackal found himself staring out the window. Part of him felt embarrassed that he was trampled by Sonic and the Secret Strikers, but the other half of him wondered why a certain someone wasn't present during the fight.

That certain someone was Zonic the Zone Cop.

Infinite remembered asking Sonic if Zonic's name rang a bell, and Sonic asked how he knew who he was, implying that the two hedgehogs have met each other.

The jackal also explained that he wanted revenge on Sonic just to lure out the Zone Cops. Why? Because he was abandoned by them a long time ago. Infinite clenched his fist, playing back voices from the day he and his squad were banished to Mobius Prime.

" _Zero!"_ he heard the voice of Zonic snarl. _"For trying to get ahold of a powerful gemstone, you're no longer welcome to the Zone Cops!"_

" _As long as I stay in this Zone, Zonic!"_ he heard himself retort. _"That ruby shall be mine!"_

" _Funny you should say that, Zero… because as of this moment, you're no longer welcome in this Zone!"_

" _What!? N-no, don't!"_

As soon as he imagined himself being kicked by the Zone Cop, Infinite shot open his eyes and gasped. Nearly tripping on his feet, the jackal placed his hand on his chest, feeling thankful he didn't have to go through the same pain he dealt with some time ago.

Glancing at a snoring Zomom, Infinite wiped his forehead before he took a seat.

But just as he lifted his mask up to take a sip of hot chocolate, he was visited by Zavok, who came with a question.

"Is it true?"

The jackal finished his sip and placed the mug down. "Is what true?"

"That you're not from this world? You told Sonic that you originated from a place called the No Zone and that the reason you've aligned yourself with Dr. Eggman is because you want revenge on a man named Zonic… is it true? Or was it just a lie to throw our enemies off guard?"

The jackal looked out the window once again before he leaped out of his chair. Walking past the red Zeti, he approached the door. But before he left the room, his response was this…

"If I wanted to throw the Secret Strikers off guard, I would've said I was angry at the world for calling me weak."

Leaving on a cryptic note, Infinite closed the door.

Zavok was left alone with his sleeping brother. "Hmm… I'm not one to ally myself with strangers, but you could be useful to my plan, Infinite."

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 22**_

* * *

 _Uh, oh. It looks like Zavok's plans of stealing the Phantom Ruby are advancing. And the fact that he's thinking about recruiting Infinite can only bring bad news. But on the plus side, the Secret Strikers have two out of the three materials they need for their multiverse portal. All they need is a Warp Ring from Freedom Heights before we explore the five Zones in the multiverse: Boom Zone, Light Mobius, Dark Mobius, Sol Zone, and No Zone. But first, they gotta get a Chaos Emerald in the Mania Zone. Since Mobius Prime and the Mania Zone have merged, getting that emerald should be a piece of cake... or is it?_

 _Find out what happens when Sonic the Hedgehog, Amy Rose, Clay the Rabbit, Skylar the Bear, and Lil' Blue are sent on a mission through an old Zone in..._

 _"Chapter 23: Triple Date"._

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _Obviously, there are similarities between the Infinite fight from the game and the Metal Sonic fight that's here. The biggest difference is that the battle here doesn't involve Sonic for the most part. This one had Silver, Blaze, and the Babylon Rogues doing all of the work. Which was nice to write considering you never see these characters interact. Blaze has interacted with the Rogues in some of the Archie Sonic Comics, but never has she interacted with them in the games. I always thought Jet, Wave, and Storm were underrated characters. They need to be used more (But they need to find a new guy to voice Jet. It's not a horrible voice, it just doesn't suit the character)._

 _Chief Pachacamac and the Knuckles Clan were in Chapter 5: Stress Test. I figured I'd bring them back here considering this chapter centers around saving Tikal. Btw, do I need to explain the movie this chapter's title references?_

 _Response to TheLostEternity: I apologize for not responding to your comments last time. I had something to do and I wanted to take a nap. As we speak, I'm sick, but it's more of a casual sickness and not coronavirus. I am glad you're loving the fact Infinite is from another dimension instead of how it is in the game. By the way, the people that tease you about Infinite being your favorite Sonic character should be tied up and forced to play Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric because that's way past uncool. Infinite is far from my favorite, but it's nice to know someone who has him as a personal favorite. Dr. Eggman and Dr. Robotnik will have more interactions and Gemerl was always on the good side. As for the previous chapter, I'm a huge fan of the Sonic Comics (Specifically Archie Post-SGW for both STH and SU, Archie Sonic Boom, and IDW Sonic the Hedgehog). Comics are the best thing that happened to Sonic in my opinion because it expands upon the world that we all know and love. The people that call it FanFiction are idiots. I'm glad you loved Silver and Blaze in this chapter. I hope you like them here too. :) Hope you're well, my friend. Take care of yourself!_

 _As always, thank you all so much for reading! Don't forget to R &R! I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	23. Triple Date

_**A/N:** Happy Friday, everybody! Welcome to another chapter! Thanks to all of those who reviewed last chapter. So, the last time we met the Secret Strikers, they've gathered most of the materials they needed for the multiverse portal. All they need left is the Warp Ring from Freedom Heights, but they're not going after it in this chapter. Nope, as teased last time, Sonic, Amy, Clay, Skylar, and Lil' Blue are going on a triple date to the Mania Zone, but I know what you're thinking... there are five characters and Lil' Blue doesn't have a partner. How will this work? Well... let's just see where this goes._

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Studiopolis Act 1 - Sonic Mania OST_**

 ** _(2) Hard-Boiled Heavies - Sonic Mania OST_**

 ** _(3) Friends - Sonic Mania OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **Triple Date**

Later that night on Angel Island, Sonic the Hedgehog got a chance to rest easy after a long day of fighting. He assisted the Rookies and Babylon Rogues in raiding the Arsenal Pyramid and he helped Knuckles and the others rescue Tikal from Dr. Eggman's clutches. So of course, all of that hard work paid off in the end because it meant the hedgehog would get some well-deserved rest. But in the morning, he knew he would have to explain to the other heroes what he was told about Infinite's origins.

Speaking of the jackal, there was another person who was well-aware of his backstory. That said person stood beside the sleeping hedgehog. Raising his boot, he gently kicked the hedgehog's back.

"Sonic?... Sonic, wake up."

Sonic moaned in his sleep, tossing and turning. "Five more minutes, Uncle Chuck."

The figure tenderly nudged the hedgehog again. "Sonic, wake up. This is important."

With his eyes partially open, Sonic mumbled, "Go away, Amy, I'm not in the mood."

Thankfully, Amy Rose was nowhere near the area to hear that comment. Instead, Sonic was face-to-face with a familiar sight: Zonic the Zone Cop. The green and red armored hedgehog folded his arms and waited for his Prime Zone counterpart to awaken. Sonic jumped up as soon as he saw the Zone Cop and quickly looked around his environment.

He was no longer inside his bedroom in Launch Base. Instead, he was in the middle of Mushroom Hill Zone. He wasn't sure what time it was, but from looking at the sky, he knew that the night was still young. Glancing down at the Zone Cop, he brushed his arms and let out a heavy yawn.

"Long time no see, Zonic," the hedgehog greeted. "Haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to?"

"I've been keeping watch over the other Zones, making sure nothing else happens to them," Zonic replied, folding his arms. "You and I need to discuss something important."

"What a coincidence. I've been meaning to talk to you as well. Yesterday, a few friends and I infiltrated Dr. Eggman's base in Green Hill where I ran into Infinite. Before we fought, he told me some _interesting_ things about his backstory. He knows you and he claims that you and the Zone Cops banished him and his friends into _my_ Zone. Is that true?"

Zonic froze as soon as he heard that. His jaw partially dropped to the ground and his eyes widened. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath. "So, Zero's told you some stuff about himself, huh? I didn't think he'd so that. It's not really his style."

"So, you _do_ know him?"

"Zero was a Zone Cop a while ago. He and I were close partners, we operated on the field together and apprehended criminals across the multiverse. He broke my trust in him when he tried to steal the Phantom Ruby."

"The Phantom Ruby _is_ from your Zone, huh? You know, that could've been helpful moments ago. He also said that the reason he wants to destroy me is because he wants to lure you and the Zone Cops out. You guys abandoned him."

"We didn't abandon him, we rightfully _punished_ him for his wrongdoings. _He's_ the one who betrayed _us!_ Zobotnik: The No Zone's Prison Warden, and his assistant: Znively created the Phantom Ruby as a quicker way of bypassing the Special Zone: which serves as a gateway to other dimensions. I invited Zero to test the Phantom Ruby with me… which was a mistake of mine. One that lead me to make a careless decision, which I plan to atone for."

Sonic smiled. "Well, that's good. You can explain to the Secret Strikers how you banished Zero to our zone, why you did it, and why he wanted the Phantom Ruby to begin with. In other words, you're _totally_ gonna help us win this war!"

"Sorry… but I can't do that."

The blue hedgehog snarled. "Wrong answer, Zonic! You already kept Infinite's origin a secret, you're _not_ turning your back on us now!"

"You weren't supposed to know Zero's origins. He's _my_ problem. I'm the reason he's been in this Zone for a long time, so I came here to bring him back to the No Zone. There, he'll be held accountable for his actions while you guys deal with Dr. Eggman."

"Sorry, but Infinite's aligned himself with Egghead, meaning that he's gonna get a beating from me and the Secret Strikers. Well, once we awaken the Super Emeralds of course. You see, we have this plan-"

"-to travel across the multiverse and gather the Chaos Emeralds, correct?"

Sonic paused before he got excited. "Yes! You know of our plan?"

"The No Zone has a set of monitors that keep watch over everything that happens in each dimension. I know everything that happened in your dimension, Sonic. From the first time you've met the Freedom Fighters to the Shattered World Crisis, I've seen it all. My comrades and I overheard your plans to traverse through the multiverse. Which is why I came here to tell you guys to abort this mission."

"Oh, awesome, that's-" Sonic widened his eyes, registering what his No Zone counterpart just said. "Wait, what?"

"You and the Secret Strikers _cannot_ travel through the multiverse."

"But why? The Chaos Emeralds from my world are there. We need them to activate the Super Emeralds. You see, Lil' Blue, who comes from the Mania Zone, told us that the Phantom Ruby nullifies the Chaos Emeralds' powers. So, we think that if we use the Super Emeralds, it can destroy the ruby."

"That sounds quite astute."

"Yeah, I'm totally… whatever you said."

Zonic raised an eyebrow.

Sonic shrugged his shoulders. "So, how come you don't want us going into the Special Zone? Does it need spring cleaning or something?"

"No, it's because I can't afford to have the Phantom Ruby destroyed. I need to take Zero and that ruby back to the No Zone where they belong. Once you guys stop Dr. Eggman's army, I'll step in, take Zero and the Phantom Ruby, and you'll never hear from me again. If you travel through the multiverse and collect those emeralds, that means the ruby's going to be destroyed."

"Again, _wrong answer!_ " Sonic snarled, poking Zonic's chest. "You're seriously telling me you're taking that thing back to the No Zone? Don't you see what it's doing!? It's making the multiverse unstable with its constant energy pulses! If this keeps up, we're all gonna die! Doesn't that mean anything to you!?"

"Believe me, I don't want to do this because it sounds stupid. But I have direct orders from Warden Zobotnik to retrieve the Phantom Ruby and Zero."

"So, tell him to go suck a truck! We _need_ to destroy that ruby! The Secret Strikers and I aren't cancelling this mission! We worked too hard to get this long!"

"I'm sorry, Sonic," Zonic sighed, as he took out a small Warp Ring and tossed it aside. It opened, revealing a new location. "But trust me when I say this… if you're smart and value the safety of your world, you'd tell the others to stop this plan as soon as possible. Defeat the Eggman Army as you normally would, leave Zero and the Phantom Ruby to me."

With those final words, Zonic stepped into the Warp Ring and disappeared.

Sonic folded his arms and tapped his toe, furious that this plan has a complication.

* * *

The next day in Launch Base Zone, Sonic woke up and ran inside the base to have breakfast with the rest of the resistance. Once they finished their meal, the cobalt hero got a chance to gather his friends together and tell them everything Zonic told him last night. He was expecting them to be as angry as he was, but instead, they were more shocked and confused than they were angry.

The Secret Strikers: Lil' Blue, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, the Chaotix, Silver, and Blaze exchanged curious glances as Sonic continued talking.

Relic, Fixit, Cream, Big, and Gemerl listened as well.

The four Rookies stood beside the Babylon Rogues.

And Uncle Chuck sat down, sipping a cup of coffee.

"And that's pretty much it," Sonic finished his story. "That's all Zonic told me."

"Let me get this straight," Knuckles chimed in. "Zonic wants us to cancel our mission because he doesn't want us to destroy the Phantom Ruby?"

"Yep."

"The nerve of that jerk!" Vector slammed his fist against the table. "It looks like we're doing all of this hard work for nothing then!"

"Oh, well, I'm out. I'm done with this garbage," Jet grabbed his Extreme Gear and walked towards the exit door. "Honestly, I'm not screwing around with anymore of this Phantom Ruby mumbo jumbo. Last time I messed with a fancy piece of tech; a DVD Rental Box spit a bunch of rings at me."

Wave raised an eyebrow. "That's because you kept putting your rings in the card reader."

"Then, they started pouring out of it! I almost drowned!"

"None of this makes sense," Espio stroked his chin. "If Zonic takes Infinite _and_ the Phantom Ruby back to his world, who's to say that Infinite won't break out and steal the ruby again? If that happens, we'll have a repeat of what's happening now. There're no other options except to destroy the ruby for good."

"Espio's right," Amy nodded. "We've worked too hard to quit now; we're going to do this whether Zonic likes it or not."

"I'm glad you said that, Amy," Tails smiled. "Because today's the day we're going to get the Warp Ring from Freedom Heights, which is locked in a museum according to Clay. But we also need something else. Remember when I said that one of the Chaos Emeralds is in the Mania Zone? Well, I did a radar check this morning and I discovered that a Chaos Emerald is in a place called Studiopolis; it's right where Mobotropolis is located. Once we get these things and make sure Shadow has _his_ emerald, we'll be all set to travel into the Special Zone."

Everyone nodded.

"But here's the catch," Tails continued. "With Dr. Eggman saying he has a plan occurring in what's now _two_ days, we have to jump into the Special Zone by tonight and get the remaining emeralds as fast as possible. So we have to work fast!"

"Which is why we're going to split into teams again," Knuckles chimed in, folding his arms. "Clay and Skylar, I want you guys to go to Studiopolis with Sonic, Amy, and Lil' Blue. Everyone else is coming with us to Freedom Heights."

"May I help out, Mr. Knuckles?" Cream raised her hand. "I want to help out anyway I can."

"If you're mother's cool with it, sure," Knuckles replied. "But Gemerl, you're definitely coming with us."

"Understood," Gemerl nodded.

"Does everyone understand what we're doing?"

The Secret Strikers nodded in unison.

"Great! Let's get moving, everyone."

As everyone dispersed from the room, Lil' Blue was ready to head out before he slowly looked over his shoulder, glancing at Tails. The twin-tailed fox sat by the computer, loading up a map of Freedom Heights. Sonic noticed Lil' Blue's sorrowful expression. The little hedgehog raised his hand forward, trying to get the fox's attention, but he hesitated. He was worried he'd make another snarky comment that would offend the heroes.

So, Lil' Blue closed his eyes, shook his head, and jogged forward.

Clay and Skylar followed close behind.

"Looks like you're coming on a trip with The Mighty Clay," the rabbit smiled.

"Looking forward to it," Skylar rolled her eyes.

Sonic watched Lil' Blue leave before he approached Tails. "Hey, little buddy. Sorry to keep shoving this down your throat, but have you spoken to Lil' Blue at all last night? He looks like he wants to apologize."

"Every time he tries, he always comes across as a jerk again," Tails answered. "Why should I give him my time?"

"That's not what you said when you two took down the Egg Dragoon. He was telling me how awesome you two were."

"That was because… because…" the fox took a deep breath. "Because we were in a dire situation. I… maybe I'll talk to him later, but now's not the best time."

As Tails continued getting ready for battle, Sonic gave him one last nod before he caught up with his team. **_(1)_**

* * *

While Knuckles and the others make their way to Freedom Heights, Sonic and his team sat on the outskirts of the Mania Zone's second most popular landmark: Studiopolis. A highly populated, skyscraper infested city that resembled that of a movie studio. Everywhere residents looked, they saw bright neon lights with Dr. Robotnik's face all over different billboards and posters that advertised different genres of movies. Around the area, strange bug-like robots that are designed like a camera patrolled the city streets, making sure no one planned any rebellion against their creator's empire.

The team of heroes silently hopped across the rooftops and made their way down a black and white road. They jumped on top of a balcony and climbed up to another rooftop, hiding behind a ledge. They ducked down once they saw more of the Shutterbug robots passing by.

Once they were gone, Clay peeked upward and was amazed by the gorgeous scenery. As a former filmmaker, he appreciated all of the references he could find.

He secretly geeked out when he saw that one of the roads was made out of a clapperboard.

"Wow," Clay whispered. "This place looks so awesome."

"Yeah," Skylar smiled, which startled Clay. "I could see you opening up a studio here, Clay. Too bad this place belongs in another dimension."

"Yeah, but uh… The Mighty Clay has found a new hobby."

"Which stinks… because I really loved you when you liked your old hobby."

Clay widened his eyes, turning to Skylar.

"By love, I didn't mean love _love_ ," the bear nervously chuckled, tugging on her pink beanie. "I meant that I loved your old hobby and who you were before you became an ego maniac. I mean, not that I don't like you now, I just don't love you. Wait, I mean that I like you, I meant that-"

"It's okay, Skylar," Clay replied softly and with a low sigh. "I understand."

Noticing the gentle tone in her friend's voice, Skylar began to wonder if Clay was okay.

"You know your way around this place, Lil' Blue," Amy said. "Where's the Chaos Emerald?"

Lil' Blue whipped out the emerald tracker, pinpointing the emerald's location. "It should be somewhere down a pathway called Act 2. But we better hurry, the emerald looks like it's moving… _fast_."

"Lucky for us, _we're_ faster," Sonic pointed to himself. "Come on, Secret Strikers! Let's go get that emerald!"

With that, everyone leaped over the rooftop and made their way down to the surface below. Landing a clapperboard-like road. The heroes took off down a long pathway at the speed of light. Of course, Sonic and Lil' Blue (being the fastest ones) ran ahead of everyone else. Amy was close to catching up to them. As with Skylar and Clay, they took some time to explore the scenery.

In the process, the two were intercepted by Badniks that resembled lightbulbs.

"Whoa, who turned on the lights!?" Clay gasped, as he slammed the robots with his hammer.

"Puns, really?" Skylar rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, that was unintentional, but I do not regret it."

Clay and Skylar continued running down the Zone until they came across a blue pathway that lead straight downward. Picking up the pace, the two descended at the speed of light. Their legs couldn't take this much speed, so the two of them toppled over and rolled down the rest of the road mimicking Sonic's Spin Dash. Eventually, they shot into the air and they landed in the back of a truck titled, _"Hornet"_.

The truck transferred them to a satellite dish up above and they roamed around the rest of the zone until they appeared out of thin air as their normal selves. Gasping for dear life, the two of them felt dizzy before they watched the two Sonics and Amy run past them. The three hedgehogs landed inside a popcorn machine, which shot them into the air.

"This place is crazy!" Clay rolled his eyes, feeling dizzy. "It's giving me all sorts of mania!... Oh, now I see why this place is called the _Mania_ Zone, ha-ha!"

Skylar, who though the joke was dumb, still have a secret chuckle. "I got a better idea. Grab on, Clay."

The rabbit grabbed onto his friend's hand, as she raised her Hover Wispon upward. She lifted herself and the rabbit off the ground. The two took to the skies, which made their journey more easier than having to travel on foot.

Of course, both Sonics and Amy thought differently.

The three spin dashed into a few Badniks before they ran down another pathway. Like Clay and Skylar, they went inside the back of the Hornet truck and suddenly appeared as satellite waves. They reverted back to normal once they reached the other side of the Zone.

Sonic and Lil' Blue fist-bumped before they continued.

The Prime Zone Blur looked over his shoulder and saw that Amy was admiring the scenery. He smiled and spoke to Lil' Blue. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up later."

The little hedgehog nodded as he took off running.

Sonic ran backward until he jogged beside Amy. "Hey, Ames, see something you like?"

"Even though this place isn't supposed to be here, it's so nice that it makes me wish it really _was_ in our world," she replied happily. "It's so cool to know there are other worlds out there. Yeah, most of us know about Blaze's world, but that's only one piece of the puzzle. This is different… but again, it's a shame this happened that happened at a time of crisis."

"I hear ya, Amy," Sonic smiled. "If the multiverse wasn't in danger, I would totally explore all of these new landmarks. But hey, what are you gonna do?"

"Right."

Sonic and Amy continued looking at the colorful billboards that they ran past.

"Hey, Sonic," the pink hedgehog said with a sudden frown. "Can I ask you something?"

"What's up, Ames?" Sonic smiled.

"So… this may sound stupid, but… what if this plan doesn't work? I mean, the optimist in me thinks that the Super Emeralds will successfully thwart the Phantom Ruby and the day will be saved once again, but at the same time, the pessimist in me is saying that this isn't going to work. What if things end a similar way they did six months ago? Back when you… you… you…" Amy let out a low sigh, not wanting to finish her sentence.

Sonic looked at her and understood what she was asking. But he let out a tender smile, approached her, and wrapped his arm around her. "Hey, listen, Amy. I don't want to promise you that this will work, nor do I want to say that this _won't_ work. All I can say is that we won't know until we try. If we don't take a chance, we'll live the rest of our lives regretting our lack of effort. But if we jump on this opportunity, we'll feel better knowing we took a chance regardless of the outcome… does that make sense?"

Amy mirrored Sonic's expression. "Yeah, it does… you always make me feel better."

"Likewise, Amy and so do you," Sonic smiled, shooting her a wink. Then, he softly chuckled. "Y'know, I find it hard to believe how much time has passed since our first meeting. I still remember the times you followed me around everywhere, clung onto me, and obsessed over me 24/7."

"Oh, gosh," Amy blushed, nervously chuckling. "My embarrassing years."

"Oh, come on, they weren't that bad."

"Team Rose nearly beat the snot out of you, Knuckles, and Tails because I wanted you to marry me."

"Well, nobody's perfect."

Both of them shared a laugh.

"In all seriousness," Sonic continued. "You've grown up so much, both physically and mentally. You've gotten so mature over the years, so levelheaded, independent, and responsible. And not only have we gotten closer as friends, but we've gotten closer as partners too. What I'm trying to say is… I'm glad I get to know the new Amy, the _real_ Amy I see today."

The pink hedgehog was starstruck by everything she heard from the hedgehog's mouth. Her jaw nearly dropped, her heart almost stopped, and her eyes began to sparkle. As she gazed into Sonic's emerald green eyes, she smiled heavily and offered her fist.

Sonic fist-bumped his friend.

Clay and Skylar, who overheard the entire conversation, watched from above.

"Aww," the latter said. "I've always been more of a Sonally person, but that's cute."

Clay chuckled.

Suddenly, the four came to a stop once they saw Lil' Blue standing in the middle of the road. He stared into the emerald tracker's radar.

"Everything okay, Lil' Blue?" Amy inquired.

"I don't know if this thing's working right," Lil' Blue rubbed his head. "First, this thing says the Chaos Emerald's in front of us, not it's saying it's below-"

 _ **CRACK! BOOM! (1s) (2)**_

The ground below everyone's feet suddenly exploded, shooting everyone into the air. A large contraption came from below, followed by two large missiles. The contraption smacked the Secret Strikers to the side.

Skylar grabbed onto Clay and recovered herself using her Hover Wispon.

Lil' Blue landed against the wall.

And Sonic landed on his knees, catching Amy bridal style. "And for the catch of the day."

"Shut up," Amy moaned.

Glancing to the horizon, everyone saw that the contraption was something from Lil' Blue's dimension: a large silver, black, and gold helicopter that was piloted by four Egg Robos. Two of them hung onto the sides, one was in the cockpit, and the last one was in charge of defenses. Said last one was also the leader of this operation. Its appearance was different than the other Egg Robos, it was decorated to resemble a police officer. With a black and blue uniform, it had a white helmet and two gold stripes forming the shape of an X with a star-shaped badge in the middle.

"You've got to be kidding me," Lil' Blue moaned.

The name of the Egg Robo was the Heavy Gunner and in his hand was a bazooka.

He fired three rockets at the resistance.

" _Move!_ " Lil' Blue called out, as everyone evaded in opposite directions.

Clay and Skylar landed on the road.

"Officer, this is a misunderstanding!" Clay pleaded. "We didn't do anything wrong!"

"That's not a real officer, you doof!" Skylar replied, loading her Hover Wispon. "That's an Egg Robo!"

"Oh, in that case, The Mighty Clay shall show you that _he_ is the one who controls the law!"

Twirling his hammer, Clay leaped himself upward and grabbed onto the helicopter. He pulled his hammer back with hopes of knocking the vehicle off course, but the Heavy Gunner turned around, glared at the rabbit, and kicked him off. He then shot a deadly stare at his Mania Zone enemy, recognizing him instantly. He ordered the Egg Robos to charge for him and they obeyed.

Lil' Blue dodged the rockets that came for him and took off down the road. "Heavy Gunner, I should've known you'd come back for me. I assume you're just some illusion made by the Phantom Ruby? The Zone Cops' invention is a real pain in the neck!"

The Heavy Gunner shook his fist, as he continued firing at the hedgehog. He missed every shot.

"Oh, that's right, you can't talk," Lil' Blue folded his arms. He started running backwards, smirking at his enemies. "Which makes you no fun to mess with. But I think there's a reason why Robotnik doesn't make you talk. It's because he doesn't want you to get…"

Sonic and Amy homing attacked into both sides of the helicopter.

"Distracted," Lil' Blue finished his snarky remark. "Nice job, lovebirds."

Amy slammed her hammer into an Egg Robo's head before she aimed for the Heavy Gunner. But to her surprise, the officer grabbed her hammer and teleported behind her. He spun her around and chucked her over his shoulder.

"Amy!" Sonic shouted with concern.

"Not to worry!" Lil' Blue raced forward. "I'll catch- _OUCH!_ "

Heavy Gunner shot Lil' Blue with an orange missile.

"No I won't!"

Clay stored his weapon away and opened his arms, trying to calculate Amy's position. But suddenly, he looked to the side and saw the same popcorn machine that helped the others navigate through the level. Snapping his fingers, he jumped inside, grabbed large chunks of popcorn and stuck them together. He placed the popcorn bed down and watched Amy safely fall on top of it.

"Thanks, Clay," she jumped up. "How'd you know what would work?"

"Just had to be creative on the spot, that's all," Clay saluted.

"Nice work. You and Skylar help Lil' Blue. I'll help Sonic and we'll take this thing down!"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

Clay twirled his hammer and grabbed onto Skylar's hand. The two Rookies raced forward and got the Heavy Gunner's attention. The evil officer came back to the helicopter and saw the Rookies sticking their tongues at him, which made him angry. Shaking his fist in anger, Heavy Gunner loaded his launcher and shot a series of missiles at them. One of the missiles was colored blue.

The orange missiles impacted the ground while Skylar pushed the blue one back with her weapon.

She excepted it to hit a random building, but no, it launched itself back to the helicopter, causing it to rumble back and forth.

Lil' Blue snapped his fingers. "Of course! I can't believe I forgot! Guys, when he shoots the blue missiles, hit those back at the helicopter! We'll do more damage that way!"

The Secret Strikers gave a thumbs up and they placed their plan in motion.

Heavy Gunner repeated the same process again. To which Sonic homing attacked a blue missile, causing another hit to land on the helicopter. Heavy Gunner did this again, but Amy was the one who fired the missile back this time.

After numerous attempts to hit the resistance, Heavy Gunner realized that his helicopter was falling towards the ground. The number of blows his vehicle took caused the systems to start malfunctioning, but there was still enough energy to keep it going. Heavy Gunner reached into his pocket and pulled out a purple-colored Chaos Emerald.

"Hey! He's got the emerald!" Amy pointed.

"Not for long!" Sonic called, as he boosted towards Heavy Gunner. _**(2s) (3)**_

But the officer shoved the Chaos Emerald into the side of his rocket launcher, which super charged his weapon with purple electricity. He aimed it at the hedgehog and shot him at point-blank distance. The blue hedgehog was hit by a massive blast of energy and he was flying backward through the air.

"Sonic!" Everyone exclaimed.

The wounded hedgehog freefell towards the ground, ready to become a hedgehog pancake.

When all of a sudden…

…he stopped a split second before he hit the ground.

Opening his eyes, the hedgehog he magically grew wings and had the ability to fly, but that wasn't the case. He turned around and saw a slightly well-known figure.

Miles "Tails" Prower. But it wasn't Tails from the Prime Zone, it was Tails from the Mania Zone.

"T-Tails?" Sonic gasped.

"Not exactly," the young fox winked, as he and the older hedgehog rushed back into battle. Everyone glanced up and saw the heroes rushing back into combat. Lil' Blue's jaw dropped to the ground and he cheered at the top of his lungs.

" _TAILS!_ My little buddy! I thought I lost you!"

"What am I, chopped liver?" the voice of Classic Knuckles emerged from the sewers below the surface. He jumped up, clapped his fists, and landed an uppercut across Heavy Gunner's face. He slammed his fists across the robot's face and kicked him in the head.

The young echidna landed beside the hedgehog and the two fist-bumped.

"There's a tiny Knuckles _and_ a tiny Tails?" Sonic laughed. "Okay, we need to give you two some nicknames! I'm thinking Mini Miles for you and Chuckles for that guy below!"

Mini Miles rubbed his head and chuckled. "I guess you can give us those names. But I don't think Knuckles would like this name… even if he _does_ chuckle a lot!"

Chuckles did his namesake and clapped his fists together. He and Lil' Blue raced forward and dodged multiple shots of energy coming from Heavy Gunner. They both jumped up and bashed themselves into the side of the helicopter. They both landed on the top.

"So, let me ask you, Sonic," Chuckles said to his fellow Mania Zone resident. "What happened here? One moment, we were in our Zone and the next thing you know, we're transported here."

"I guess the multiverse collapse affected you guys too," Lil' Blue folded his arms.

"Multiverse collapse?"

"It's a long story, Knux. Wait… who's that over there?"

Lil' Blue pointed forward and saw a pink creature running towards the helicopter at full speed. For her attire, she had a green and white coat, an orange frilly skirt, white gloves, a red ribbon headband, and blue sneakers with orange shoelaces that had white tips and soles. She resembled another pink hedgehog, who was geeking out as soon as she saw the tiny hedgehog enter the battlefield.

Lil' Blue widened his black eyes. "Oh, no."

Classic Amy also known as Rosy the Rascal raced down the pathway with her Piko Piko Hammer in her hand. She jumped off of a building and ascended towards Heavy Gunner.

"Get away from my boyfriend, you piece of scrap!" she shouted, as she landed on top of Heavy Gunner and bashed him with her hammer. She covered his eyes and showed him no mercy, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Lil' Blue and Chuckles exchanged a glance.

Mini Miles and Sonic did the same thing.

Amy was awestruck by her Mania Zone counterpart. Beside her were Clay and Skylar, who were both confused.

"Aww, there's a tiny Amy!?" she smiled, cupping her hands together. "She's so cute!"

"Cute _and_ ferocious," Clay gulped. "Even I wouldn't want to mess with her."

"Especially with that hammer," Skylar quipped.

"And we're gonna call her Rosy," Sonic smiled. "There, all of the Mania Zone counterparts have nicknames."

Rosy continued bashing her hammer into Heavy Gunner before the police officer grabbed her and held her over the edge of the vehicle. He had her dangling by one arm, and he released her without hesitation. Lil' Blue gasped and jumped over the side, leaving Chuckles to fend for himself.

"Guess it's just you and me now?" the young echidna asked, as he cracked his namesakes. "Come on!"

As Chuckles thrashed Heavy Gunner, Lil' Blue performed three front flips before he landed on the ground, catching Rosy bridal style. The pink hedgehog whimpered like a distressed puppy, covering her eyes with her gloves. She was worried that she was going to die, but luckily, a certain someone was there to reassure her.

"Rosy," Lil' Blue smiled. "Are you okay?"

Rosy opened her eyes and gazed at her crush. With a loud gasp, she wrapped her arms around him and tackled him into a hug. "Sonic the Hedgehog, you're alive! You're alive! You're alive! You're alive! I was so worried about you!"

Sonic and Mini Miles landed by the couple.

Chuckles did the same as well.

"Calm down, Rosy," Lil' Blue said, coughing for air. "I'm fine. I just caused some dimensional accident, that's all."

"You had us worried sick!" Chuckles grunted. "Tails, Rosy, and I spent all day looking for you! Then, we suddenly end up here! What happened to you, man?"

"And what's the deal with this Sonic?" Mini Miles pointed to the older hedgehog behind him.

Lil' Blue gently pushed Rosy off of him, jumped up, and explained. "This is Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog. He's from Mobius Prime, which is where we are right now. When my Super State collided with the Phantom Ruby, a wormhole appeared, and it transferred us and Robotnik to this dimension. But not only that, the Phantom Ruby's been making a mess out of the other universes as well."

"That would explain why we saw older counterparts of us on the television," Mini Miles stroked his chin. "Call me crazy, but is it true that Dr. Eggman took over this place?"

Both Sonics nodded.

"I'm so sorry," Rosy closed her eyes.

"We'll do whatever it takes to stop our Robotnik as well as yours," Chuckles clapped his namesakes again.

"Great!" Sonic winked. "We can start by taking that guy down! Lil' Blue, Mini Miles, you're with me! Chuckles, Rosy, you're with my Amy, Clay, and Skylar! Sound like a plan?"

"Wait?" the red echidna rubbed his head. "What did you call me?"

"Ready, set, go!"

With that, everyone took off at the speed of light.

Chuckles and Rosy raced by Amy, Clay, and Skylar. Together, they leaped off of a building, ran down a road, and climbed on top of the Heavy Gunner's helicopter. As they avoided laser shots like the plague, both pink hedgehogs looked at each other.

"Oh, my gosh!" Rosy smiled heavily. "Your dress is so cute!"

"Aww, thank you!" Amy replied. "And you look adorable!"

"Thank you!"

"Say the cutie talk for later, please," Chuckles grunted.

"Sorry," both hedgehogs chuckled nervously.

Suddenly, they both whipped out their hammers and bashed the sides of the helicopter. Clay and Chuckles shared a fist bump before they pounded their fists against Heavy Gunner's chest. This caused the purple Chaos Emerald to fall out of his weapon. The Super Badnik jumped off his vehicle to go fetch it, when suddenly, he glanced over and saw three projectiles heading his way.

Sonic had a giant blue and yellow ball in his hands.

"And he makes the first pitch!" the blue hedgehog shouted, as he chucked Lil' Blue and Mini Miles forward.

Heavy Gunner internally screamed before…

 _ **KRAKOOM!**_

…he was broken into a million pieces of scrap. _**(3s)**_

With his falling onto the floor, Lil' Blue caught the Chaos Emerald and hugged his best friend. Together, they regrouped with Chuckles and Rosy, celebrating their victory.

Thanks to Skylar, Clay and Amy got down safely. They joined with Sonic, as they watched the Mania Zone hedgehog joyfully reunite with his allies. All four of the Prime Zoners had the same smiles. They couldn't make out what the others were saying, but from the looks on their faces, they could tell they were more than happy to see each other again. Especially Rosy, who wouldn't let go of Lil' Blue.

"I wish our Tails was here to see this," Sonic motioned to Amy. "That way, he and Lil' Blue can start getting along."

"Yeah, but that's a story for another day," Amy nodded. "I'm glad Lil' Blue's back with his friends."

"I didn't think they'd be here," Skylar chimed in. "But it does make since considering the circumstances that've been occurring here."

"Do you think we'll see other people from the Mania Zone?" Clay inquired.

"Unless they have Mighty, Ray, and the Hooligans, I don't think so," Sonic quipped.

All four Mania Zoners regrouped with their Prime counterparts.

"Thanks for helping us out, guys," Clay winked. "You're pretty worthy in my book. By the way, I'm Clay the Rabbit. But you can call me The Mighty Clay. This here's my trusted sidekick, Skylar the Bear. My best friend, Buster's my _real_ sidekick, but she's taking over for him while he's off on a mission."

The royal blue bear rolled her eyes.

Lil' Blue whispered the fact that Clay was an ego-maniac to his friends and they secretly laughed.

"So," Chuckles clapped his fists. "Now that we got the Chaos Emerald, what do we do next? Because from what I've seen on TV, you guys aren't the only members of this Secret Striker group I keep hearing about."

"The rest of us are in Freedom Heights: a city in Green Hill Zone," Amy answered. "They're looking for a Warp Ring for a plan we have. I'll explain on the way-"

 _ **VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!**_

 _ **RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!**_

The ground began to shake, and the loud sound of the Phantom Ruby's pulse came through.

Everyone began to lose their balance.

"W-what's going on!?" Mini Miles exclaimed.

"Oh, no!" Sonic gasped. "Not this again, _YIKES!_ "

A chunk of Green Hill Zone popped out of the ground, nearly shooting the Blue Blur into the air. Sonic landed beside Amy and the two looked at the rising mountain. All of the Mania Zoners were almost hit by a pipe from Chemical Plant Zone. Everyone looked to the left and saw that more chunks from other Zones were clouding Studiopolis.

"Let's get out of here!" Skylar called, as she lifted herself into the air.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Clay screamed, as he jumped into Skylar's arm and climbed up her legs. He wrapped his arms around her and shivered, as the multiverse quakes made ear-wrenching noises.

"Chill, Clay, we've dealt with this before."

"Yeah, but… look, just don't let me go, okay!?"

Hugging the blue bear, the rabbit shed a small tear and closed his eyes. Skylar was about to tease him, but she stopped once she saw the tear. Instead, she gave a gentle frown before she held onto the rabbit with her free hand. Smiling, she began to fly towards the city's exit. Behind her was Mini Miles, who had Lil' Blue in his hands, Chuckles, who had Rosy riding on his back, and Sonic, who carried Amy in his arms.

All of them ran towards the exit with the purple Chaos Emerald in their possession.

"Keep moving!" Sonic called.

Everyone ran down the city was caving down on top of them. They swerved left and right, not wanting to become pancakes in the road. Eventually, all of their hard work paid off once they reached the exit of the city. Running for their lives, they quickly jumped through the city's gate and ran down the luscious green grass of Royal Hills Zone: Mobotropolis' capital Zone. Once they ran a good distance away from the city, they turned around and saw that Studiopolis was no more.

Instead, it was a hodgepodge of different landmarks.

Skylar lowered herself to the ground, but Clay was still hugging her and shivering with fear.

Patting his head, the blue bear smiled. "Clay?"

Opening his eyes, the rabbit realized what he was doing and quickly released her. "S-sorry, Skylar."

"No worries. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine… but more importantly, are _you_ okay?"

The bear was surprised to hear that. "Y-yes. Thank you."

Lil' Blue approached his modern counterpart and Amy with his arms folded. "And here I thought we were done with these earthquakes."

"Did Eggman do this?" Amy inquired.

"Actually," Clay nervously rubbed his ears. "I think this was my fault."

"Why do you say that?" Sonic asked.

Without a verbal response, the grey-furred rabbit whipped something out of his pocket…

…a prototype Phantom Ruby.

* * *

 _~Flashback_

The twin-tailed kitsune scratched his head and nodded. "Thanks, guys. You always know what to say, Espio,"

"So do we," Vector pointed to Charmy and himself. "They don't call us Team Chaotix: Wisest Detective Agency for nothing."

"Nobody calls us that, Vector."

"Shut up, Espio, you're ruining my moment."

Through the hole in the ceiling, Dakota, Gadget, and Clay entered the room, ready to fight.

"The Mighty Clay is here for combat!" the rabbit exclaimed before he analyzed all of the damage that had been done. "Don't tell me I came at a bad time."

"How's the battle going?" Knuckles asked.

"We got them on the ropes," Dakota smiled. "Most of Eggman's army is retreating."

"That's all I needed to hear," Knuckles smiled. "Come on, everyone! Let's head back to the ship. Call everyone else, we'll be heading home for rest and relaxation."

As the Secret Strikers dashed out of the room, Clay stayed behind to kick the wall. He was annoyed that he didn't get a chance to fight with everyone else. Placing his hammer on his shoulder, he mumbled in anger and slowly followed the others…

…when suddenly.

A small ringing caught his attention.

"Hmm?"

Turning around, he noticed a small Phantom Ruby prototype on the floor.

"What's this?"

He approached the gemstone and picked it up. It was still glowing in his hands. Raising an eyebrow, he wondered what was making it glow like this. But suddenly, the ruby stopped glowing.

"Huh? Hey, why'd you stop glowing, little guy?"

Tapping the ruby with his finger, he shook it twice, but it wouldn't budge.

" _Hmph!_ I better take you with me, little dude. Something tells me you'll be useful in the future."

The young rabbit walked down the laboratory, storing the Phantom Ruby away.

* * *

 _~Present Day_

The depressed teenager finished his story. "I thought taking one of the prototypes with me could help us understand how the Phantom Ruby was built. Yeah, these shotty things were made by Eggman and the real one was made by the Zone Cops, but I thought it could help us out… sadly, it caused all of _this_ to happen. I could've killed us if this happened before we got the emerald… I'm sorry, guys."

"There's no way a prototype Phantom Ruby did _this_ ," Amy analyzed Clay's ruby. "I don't think this was your fault, Clay,"

Sonic smiled. "Keep that thing with you, Clay. I'll have Tails and the other geeks study it later."

Clay chuckled at the hedgehog's remark, but part of him still felt guilty.

Suddenly, Sonic's wrist communicator went off. He answered it quickly. "Yo?"

" _Sonic!"_

"Hey, Knuckles. What's up?"

" _Did you feel that too?"_

"You mean the earth-shattering multiverse quakes? Yeah, we saw that."

" _Are you guys okay?"_

"We're fine. We got the Chaos Emerald from Studiopolis. We also found some of Lil' Blue's friends. They said they saw us on TV, and they want to help out."

" _Sounds good to me. Unfortunately, we're not doing so well in Freedom Heights. Shadow's wiping out some of our troops!"_

Everyone gasped.

"Shadow?" Sonic inquired. "What the heck!? He's on our side!"

" _I know. But this Shadow's eyes were glowing purple. Something tells me it's a Phantom Ruby replica."_

"Keep him occupied as long as you can, Knuckles. We'll be right there!" Hanging up the call, the blue hedgehog glanced at his team. "Come on, guys! Let's go show that Faker who's boss! Amy?"

Amy giggled and leaped into her crush's arms. Rosy did the same thing without Lil' Blue's consent. And Skylar offered her hand to Clay. The rabbit smiled underneath his mask, as he took her hand. Chuckles and Mini Miles shared a glance.

Soon, everyone was on the move.

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 23**_

* * *

 _Team Sonic has acquired the Chaos Emerald from the Mania Zone, but unfortunately, their mission went smoother than the mission in Freedom Heights. A fake Shadow the Hedgehog is bypassing through the Secret Strikers, which will hinder them from getting the Warp Ring. Will Team Sonic be able to make a difference in the Secret Strikers' invasion, or will Shadow vanquish them all? With new allies found within Mini Miles, Chuckles, and Rosy, things are looking good for the Resistance, but the battle to take back Mobius rages on. Tune in next time as the battle of Freedom Heights escalates in..._

 _"Chapter 24: All Hail Shadow"._

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _Obviously, the title for this chapter is a reference to the fact that Sonic and Amy are a thing as well as some subtle hints of Clay and Skylar's relationships. In case anyone is curious, I don't see Sonic and Amy dating each other. I see them as close friends. As for Sonic having a girlfriend, he's dated Sally Acorn, Mina Mongoose, and even Fiona Fox in the Archie Comics. I don't have a problem with Sonic having a girlfriend, but I like it better when he remains single. He's free like the wind, going wherever his heart goes, feeling that a relationship will hold him back. If Sonic and Amy were to date in the games, I'd be cool with it. But for me, I like seeing Sonic have female **friends** rather than a girlfriend. But I do like it whenever Sonic and Amy tease with each other in the comics._

 _The only exception I make to Sonic having a girlfriend was in Mobius: 30 Years Later (Sonic Universe Volume 2). In that story, Sonic and Sally are married and have two kids: a hedgehog son named Manik and a chipmunk daughter named Sonia. I think you know what those names are referencing. In that story, I liked the relationship between Sonic and Sally in that story._

 _Clay finding the Phantom Ruby was something I wanted to do in the previous chapter, but I figured it would take up a lot of space. So, I stuck it in here. Unlike the game, I'll have Clay utilize the prototype ruby. Let's hope to Mobius he won't get corrupted like Infinite and Dr. Eggman._

 _Heavy Gunner's one of my favorite bosses in Sonic Mania. I loved Studiopolis as a level and that boss is awesome. It was a nightmare on my first run, but over time, I got better at it. Although, there was one time I cheated that boss as Super Sonic._

 _Speaking of Sonic Mania, I think it's time I talk about Mini Miles, Chuckles, and Rosy aka Classic Tails, Classic Knuckles, and Classic Amy. They have been name-dropped by Lil' Blue a few times before, but now they're making an actual appearance in this story. I'll make sure to make good use of them for this tale. I would have brought Mighty and Ray, but I'm saving them for Sonic Heroes 2. But if you want to see Mighty, Ray, and the Hooligans in a Sonic story of mine, check out Awakened. That's a good read if you're a fan of Gemerl and Cream (bows head in shame for self-advertisement, lol!)_

 _Response to Guest: No worries for taking a while. Life comes first before reading a chapter, my friend. I'm glad you loved the Secret Strikers storming Eggman's base. All they need is a Warp Ring and then it's off to the multiverse! Clay's backstory will be revealed along with Infinite's very soon. Thank you so much for reading!_

 _Response to TheLostEternity: As promised by Infinite, he and Zomom got treated to some food. I loved writing that scene especially since Infinite takes a shot at his actual backstory in the game. My personal favorite Sonic characters are: 1) Knuckles. 2) Espio. 3) Gemerl. 4) Jet. and 5) Blaze. Those are my top five. The other five I have are Cream, Vector, Charmy, Bunnie Rabbot, and Antoine D'Coolette. I know this is an odd list, but I'm happy with it. Silver and Blaze are fun to write for and I really liked making the scene where they fight Metal Sonic with the Babylon Rogues. Thank you for understanding my lack of comments and stay safe my friend. I hope you enjoyed this chapter._

 _That's all I have to say, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you once again for reading this chapter as always. Don't forget to R &R! I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you next time! Peace out, web-heads!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


	24. All Hail Shadow

_**A/N:** All Hail Shadow. Heroes Rise Again. Obliterating everything that's not your friend. Nothing can stop you now. No ghosts can bring you down. There's nothing left to lose, you win! Sorry, I'm probably gonna get penalized for doing that, but I love that song so much. Anyways, I know I said I would update Mario Odyssey and then back to Sonic Heroes, but since this chapter was written weeks ago, I wanted to get it out there. Just a head's up, I'm taking a small break from publishing because I want to take care of my family and help them the best I can. I hope you all understand. If for some reason, some of you don't, that's your problem, not mine._

 ** _Suggested Music:_**

 ** _(1) Sunset Heights - Sonic Forces OST_**

 ** _(2) The Fake - Sonic Forces OST_**

 _Without further ado, enjoy the show!_

* * *

 **All Hail Shadow**

"Holy shoot!" Clay exclaimed. "What the heck's happening here!?" _**(1)**_

Sonic, Lil' Blue, and Clay knew exactly what was happening: The Secret Strikers were advancing against the Eggman Empire in Freedom Heights, the city that fell victim to Dr. Eggman's Atomic Bomb. But there were no Secret Strikers to be seen. Knuckles wasn't present. Neither were Silver, Blaze, and the Chaotix. The rest of Team Feral Strike was absent. _Nobody_ could be seen from where they were standing.

Speaking of which, the three heroes found themselves at the top of a hill. Overlooking the sight of the Egg Sentinels made them clench their fists in determination. Amy, Skylar, and the other Mania Zoners went ahead to find the others, so Sonic and Lil' Blue offered to take Clay for their mission. The rabbit still had the prototype Phantom Ruby in his hands, so they assumed it could be useful in their battle. Speaking of their battle, they knew they were going to have to take down a Phantom Ruby replica of Shadow, who's been giving the Secret Strikers a hard time.

"A bunch of giant Egg Drones," Lil' Blue rolled his eyes. "Great."

"Not to worry, guys," Sonic cracked his fingers. "We'll take them down! Ready, guys?"

Clay took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Without monologuing, I say that The Mighty Clay is always ready for combat! Time for Freedom Heights to be avenged!"

"Well said… somewhat," Sonic winked. "Come on, guys! Let's do it to it!"

Blue and grey streaks trailed behind as the heroes avoided an armada of lasers when the robots spotted them. But things got worse when an army of Buzz Bombers and Egg Pawns arrived in their path, Sonic and Clay high-fived and double boosted into the robots, as Lil' Blue drop dashed into a set of enemies from below. Soon, both Sonics jumped into the air and homing attacked the enemies in their path. Clay shot his grappling wire forward and swung the robots around like chew toys.

All three heroes jumped into the air and penetrated through a large Buzz Bomber.

Landing on the ground, they moved to the side because a crumbling building nearly fell on top of them. They stopped at one point and felt their eyes get blinded by smoke. Scowling, all three of them tightened their gloves before they continued down the pathway.

But suddenly, more buildings crumbled in front of them.

Up, down, left, right, the mighty trio avoided every single hit before they found themselves shooting off into the air.

With Sonic fist-bumping Lil' Blue and Clay, the rabbit gasped and pointing to something in front of him. A shadow casted over the trio and both hedgehogs looked at what the rabbit pointed at…

…a massive pile of debris was coming towards them.

They knew they couldn't dodge _that_.

"Holy smokes!" all three of them gasped.

Then, something helped them. To Lil' Blue's right, he looked over to see balls of multi-colored fur: red, fuchsia, green, and black. When the figures revealed themselves, the heroes were excited and relieved to see them again.

They were Knuckles, Vector, Espio, and Charmy.

Vector and Charmy smiled with opened mouths whereas Knuckles and Espio grunted with exposed teeth. They glanced down at their friends before joining them.

"Way to make a dramatic entrance, guys," Sonic winked with a thumbs up.

"Thank you," Vector nodded. "I take all the credit."

"Did you get the Chaos Emerald?" Espio inquired.

Lil' Blue held it in his hands.

"Nice work," the chameleon nodded in satisfaction. "A fine display of skill."

"Way to go, dudes!" Charmy cheered.

"Good job, guys," Knuckles nodded. "I'd be lying if I said we were doing well, but the Illusionary Legion got the drop on us. The Deadly Six are dealing with some of our members, Metal Sonic's been spotted again, and a fake Shadow's helping the Eggman Empire. I'm pretty sure Infinite was spotted here too."

"What about both Eggmen?" Lil' Blue inquired. "Are they here?"

"Not that we know of," Espio stroked his chin. "They're probably at their HQ experimenting on the Phantom Ruby."

"Look out, guys!" Charmy pointed.

A massive streak of red energy divided the heroes. Clay, Espio, Knuckles, and Lil' Blue dove to the right whereas everyone else dove to the left. A trio of Egg Sentinels were storming towards them.

"What the heck!? A whole army of Death Egg Robots!?" Vector gasped.

"They're so many of them!" Charmy panicked.

"Easy, guys!" Clay smirked. "Let The Mighty Clay show you how it's done! Knuckles, throw me!"

The commander nodded before he grabbed the rabbit by his chest. Swinging him around three times, he chucked him into the air and the rabbit took to the skies. Clay extended his arms until he got above the first sentry done. Shooting his grappling wire forward, he swung around the robot and pulled the other two closer to their ally. Soon, he had all three of the robots tangled in his trap.

"Now, guys!" Clay called.

Thanks to Charmy lifting them up, Sonic and Lil' Blue spin dashed into all three of the robots. Blue streaks filled the air and they landed onto the ground, striking a pose alongside Clay. Knuckles and the Chaotix gave them a thumbs up, as the heroes continued racing down the road.

"We need to split up and cover more ground!" Knuckles announced. "Sonic, Clay, Lil' Blue, you guys are with me. Chaotix, go help the others fight the Deadly Six and Metal Sonic! The Babylon Rogues are currently looking for the Warp Ring inside the museum! I hope they can get there without running into you know who!"

* * *

Speaking of the Babylon Rogues, Storm instantly shattered the window to the museum and entered through the top with Jet and Wave following behind. There were no guards inside, so getting the Warp Ring should be a piece of cake in their eyes… or so they think.

The trio of bandits landed on the ground and admired all of the artifacts surrounding them.

From ancient minerals, gemstones, dinosaur bones, and other gifts from Mobius' history, the Babylon Rogues struggled not to steal anything aside from the Warp Ring. Jet wanted to sell some of these items to a pawn shop for a quick buck, but he remembered he was getting a bigger prize with the Chaos Emeralds when the war concluded. He wiped his beak and walked forward.

"Spread out and find that Warp Ring, Rogues," he grinned. "That's the last thing we need before the nerds can build their multiverse portal."

"You got it, Jet," Storm saluted, as he began searching for the Warp Ring. "Let's see, if I were a magic ring that can lead to many places, where would I be? Maybe it's in the ladies room?"

Wave didn't bother searching.

Instead, she urgently approached her leader. _**(1s)**_

"Jet, if I can have a moment of your time?"

"Make it quick, Wave, this place is becoming a war zone."

"When Sonic and Tails approached us with this job, I thought we were just stealing simple items; however, after fighting the Deadly Six in the Arsenal Pyramid, and Metal Sonic in the Mystic Jungle, I'm beginning to realize we're in over our heads."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that we shouldn't be stealing these items for a quick profit. We should be helping the resistance build their portal."

"What?"

"These guys are going to need all of the help they can get."

"Hello? Mobius to Wave the Swallow, are you in there? In case you don't know, we're _legendary thieves_ , we don't help heroes with their world-saving deeds. It's not who we are! And besides, Eggman dominating the world doesn't affect us, so why should we bother with him?"

"Because Eggman is working with the Battle Bird Armada and you know what they did to us, right?"

Jet stopped walking, remembering the depression he fell into before he was inspired to come back. Shaking his head, he softly grunted. "Okay, you got me there. But after we steal this Warp Ring, we're _not_ going to help the Secret Strikers. They can perform that dimensional garbage themselves!"

Both birds suddenly came across the Warp Ring: a medium-sized golden ring that sat inside a glass container.

"Ah, here it is," Jet smirked, as he shattered the glass with one hand. "Whaddya know? Like taking candy from a baby."

"Great," Wave folded her arms, annoyed with Jet's decision. Storm quickly approached them. "Now that we have the Warp Ring, can you listen to what I'm saying?"

"You're just going to say the same stuff you've just said before. And I'm here to tell you, we're _not_ helping the Secret Strikers. Becoming superheroes is not the Babylon Rogues' destiny."

 _ **WHACK! ZAP!**_

A solid kick and a laser shot knocked all three thieves down on their knees.

Slowly getting up, the three Rogues realized who they were dealing with.

"Oh, no," Jet rolled his eyes. "Not _them_ again."

"Hello, Babylon Rogues," Speedy: Son of the current Battle Lord of the Battle Lord Armada scowled. He stood with an army of soldiers with weapons aimed at the bandits. But there were also birds in metallic wings suits as well. And others rode knock-off versions of Extreme Gear. The Battle Lord's son clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in anger. "It's time to meet _our_ destiny."

* * *

"Whooooo hooooo! You punks are going down!" Zazz cackled at the top of his lungs. He was rising on his yellow moon with a giant face, as he shot energy stars at members of the resistance. "I'm gonna rip all of you to shreds, mwa-hahahahahahaha!"

The purple Zeti and the rest of the Deadly Six lead an army of robots under their control. They were all pushing the Secret Strikers back, hindering their assault on the city. Gadget and Dakota found themselves ambushed by Zeena and Zomom, Corvin was tossed around by Zavok, and Master Zik joined Zor in chasing Fuchsia and the other soldiers around as if they were playing a game to tag.

Zazz continued firing energetic stars from his flying moon, but he was quickly stopped once Gemerl flew over and fired an uppercut across his face. The Gizoid glared over his shoulder and grabbed both Zeena and Zomom by their arms. Spinning them around like chew toys, he slammed them on the ground.

The green-haired Zeti chuckled and opened her hands, where green energy waves came out of her palms. "You look like you need a time-out, my friend. It was stupid of the Secret Strikers to bring a robot here."

Attempting to control Gemerl for herself, Zeena waited patiently for him to bow before her…

…but instead, he folded his arms and tapped his foot.

"You do realize Tails installed a system that prevents me from being mind-controlled, right?" Gemerl queried.

Zeena's yellow eyes widened. "What!? That's cheating!"

"All is fair in love and war, sister."

Gemerl ducked below Zomom's punch and slammed his fist into the Zeti's chest. "What's the matter, jelly belly? Indigestion's giving you trouble again?"

"Hey, stop! You're giving me a stomach ache!" Zomom slammed the ground, nearly hitting Gemerl.

Suddenly, Team Chaotix came out of nowhere and Charmy thunder-shot Vector into Zomom's face. Charmy flew around Zeena and kicked her in her side. Zazz approached the heroes like a rapid dog before he was stopped by Espio, who struggled to hold him back.

"Keep him steady, Espio!" Gemerl gave the ninja a thumbs up. He activated three of his back missiles and shot Zazz in his chest, knocking him back.

"Thanks, Gemerl," Espio wiped his forehead. "Where're Cream and Big? Aren't they with you?"

"Cream and Big are helping Tails and the others evacuate some civilians," Gemerl replied. "Knuckles sent me on the battlefield. Lucky for me, I can't be controlled by the Deadly Six, so we can-"

 _ **CRASH!**_

Metal Sonic came out of the blue and smacked both Gemerl and Espio against the ground.

" _Argh_ , you've got to be kidding me," the Gizoid moaned.

"I thought Silver and Blaze destroyed Metal Sonic," Espio said. "Then again, this is Dr. Eggman we're talking about. He never stops rebuilding Metal Sonic. Gemerl, you and I can take him together. I already have a plan in mind."

"Fine by me, dude," Gemerl nodded.

Metal Sonic extended his claws and charged to both combatants.

"Well, if it isn't the original copycat!" Gemerl snarled, as he punched Metal Sonic's face. "Get it? Because you used to steal biodata as Neo Metal Sonic! I bet you really miss your Neo form, don't you?"

"You won't stop us from our mission!" Espio added, volley kicking Metal Sonic's face.

"This will definitely leave a mark!" Gemerl chuckled, slamming both of his fists against Metal Sonic's chest.

* * *

Silver and Blaze soared through the air, as Tails, Cream, Buster, Emma and Big escort civilians to one of the Eggman ships they've stolen from the Arsenal Pyramid. With a little bit of repainting, they decorated in black and red colors and added a Secret Strikers logo on the wings. They were helping petrified pedestrians flee into the back compartment. But in the process, Tails, Cream, and Big were ambushed by an army of Egg Pawns, a dozen Buzz Bombers, and a large Egg Sentinel that stomped all over the road.

"We'll deal with the big guy!" Silver called out to the fox, as he and Blaze exchanged a nod and flew up to the Death Egg Sentinel and penetrated through it with their combined strength.

Tails and Cream flew forward, and the former twirled his namesakes, bashing the Egg Pawns. Cream commanded Cheese to take out some of the robots and he obeyed. Big smiled, as he picked up a few robots and smashed them to bits.

"Mr. Tails, do we have enough spaceships to save everyone?" Cream asked.

"We should have enough," Tails nodded, smacking two Egg Pawns with his fists. "Assuming Team Feral Strike can handle the Deadly Six by themselves, we'll count on them to rescue more people. Look out, Cream!"

Before the young rabbit could be ambushed by a Buzz Bomber, Big grabbed it by its wings and chucked it into the water. "It's not nice to pick on my friends."

"Thank you, Mr. Big."

"You're welcome, Cream."

"Tails!" the voice of Amy Rose called from behind. Joining her were Skylar, Mini Miles, Chuckles, and Rosy the Rascal. The Mania Zoners exchanged a determined nod before they leaped straight into battle.

"Amy, thank goodness you're… here?" Tails raised an eyebrow once he saw the Mania Zoners. All three of them shouted in excitement as they jumped into a pile of robots and threw them around like chew toys. The Mobius Prime kitsune watched them fight, as Skylar reunited with Buster and Emma. Amy approached Tails and Team Rose.

"Aww, I didn't know there was a Little Tails, a Little Knuckles, and a Little Amy," Cream smiled.

"They're from the Mania Zone," Amy smiled. "They're Lil' Blue's friends."

"I guess this crisis is affecting _everyone_ from the Mania Zone," Tails stroked his chin. "Well, if they're willing to help us out, I'm not gonna stop them!"

"Not even Lil' Blue?"

Tails raised an eyebrow.

"Tails, I know Lil' Blue said some things, but he's done a lot to help us out. He's the one who suggested using the Super Emeralds in the first place. I'm not going to force you to become his best friend, but I know he didn't mean to offend you with his remarks… I think that when we get back to HQ, you two should have a talk."

Mini Miles overhead the Prime counterparts' conversation.

"We'll see if I have time," Tails replied. "Right now, let's focus on rescuing the civilians."

As he watched his Prime Zone look-a-like get back to fighting, Mini Miles wondered what his best friend said that made his counterpart so upset.

* * *

Shadow the Hedgehog, with his eyes glowing purple, fought against the Secret Strikers with an iron fist. Shooting spears of purple energy at the shoulders, he fearlessly kicked them across their faces and punched them as if they were nothing. The ebony hedgehog ducked below soldiers' laser blasters and boosted into them with ease.

Shadow skated through the environment, fighting more soldiers, before he was suddenly punched by a burrowing animal that sprouted from the ground: it was Knuckles and he made sure to give Shadow a powerful uppercut.

The black hedgehog fell on his feet and glared upward.

Knuckles climbed out of the ground.

And joining him were Sonic, Lil' Blue, and Clay.

All four of them stood in front of the black hedgehog.

"Okay, Shadow, what's the deal?" Sonic cracked his fingers.

"Remember, this isn't the real Shadow," Knuckles said, stretching his neck. "It's a fake one, but he's got the same abilities as the original. We better be careful."

"Hey, make Clay's fake Phantom Ruby can get rid of him," Lil' Blue suggested.

Clay took out said Phantom Ruby and watched it glow.

"Wait, where did he get that?" Knuckles inquired.

"I found it in the laboratory in the Mystic Jungle," Clay replied. "Not to worry, guys, I can use it to defeat this guy!"

"Don't monologue," Sonic folded his arms.

Clay reframed from monologuing before he ran forward and twirled his hammer. He pressed the Phantom Ruby prototype against Shadow's stomach. He had his eyes closed, hoping to hear a loud grunt come from the replica.

"Did it work?" Clay inquired.

Shadow waited a few seconds before he smacked Clay in the chest. The rabbit tumbled backward and fell on top of Lil' Blue. Sonic and Knuckles watched the rabbit moan.

"Nope… it didn't," Clay groaned, as Lil' Blue pushed him off his chest.

"Welp, guess we gotta settle this the old fashioned way," Sonic smirked. "All right, Shadow, time for me to finish this!"

"Can you stop repeating quotes from our past, please?" Knuckles rolled his eyes.

The battle started once the Ultimate Life Form skated forward and leaped into the air. With purple energy forming on the bottom of his feet, Shadow lunged downward and slammed the ground. He missed all four heroes by a split second, as Sonic and Knuckles rushed forward and smacked the black hedgehog aside. Sonic and Shadow engaged themselves into a fight before the latter shot the former with a purple spear. Knuckles grabbed a pile of debris and chucked it forward. Shadow penetrated through the boulder but was met with an uppercut from the echidna.

Lil' Blue spin dashed forward, but Shadow jumped over him.

Clay twirled his hammer and swung it forward. Every hit he landed, Shadow evaded every attack before he grabbed the hammer, yanked it out Clay's hand, and smacked the rabbit across the face.

"Ouch!" Clay grumbled. "So you would hit the guy with a hammer _with_ the hammer? That's new."

Sonic and Knuckles tackled Shadow and pinned him down, but Shadow blasted both heroes off of him.

Lil' Blue spun forward and landed three punches from the left, right, and bottom directions. The tiny hedgehog bounced off the wall and jumped towards Shadow, but the black hedgehog teleported forward, and roundhouse kicked Lil' Blue's head.

Clay slammed the ground and knocked Shadow off his feet.

"Ah-ha!" the rabbit exclaimed.

But Shadow jumped back up and shot Clay with a Chaos Spear.

"Ah, fudge!" Clay exclaimed again.

Sonic and Knuckles spin dashed around the hedgehog's body before they bashed themselves into his head. Lil' Blue fired one punch before Clay pounced into Shadow with a quick jab and a volley kick. Shadow tumbled across the floor and shot four purple spears. Clay slammed his hammer on the floor, creating a shield of cubes that blocked the spears.

All four heroes raised their fists.

Shadow did the same thing.

"Not bad for a fake Shadow," Sonic smirked, wiping his nose. "But playtime's over, pal!"

* * *

Back at the museum, the Babylon Rogues were still surrounded by Speedy and the Battle Bird Armada.

"Speedy, nice to see you, my old friend," Jet smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "It's weird seeing you in that white and orange flight suit. Whatever happened to those big brown underpants you used to wear?"

"Those weren't underpants," Speedy snarled. "That was a flight suit!"

Storm was about to make a funny remark, but Wave halted him.

"Do not make another diaper joke," she hissed. "We've already made two of those already."

"Sorry," Storm spoke softly.

"Let's get down to business," Speedy grinned, pacing around the cornered Rogues. "I couldn't help but overhear you guys saying you needed the Warp Ring for multiverse travel. That can't be true, right? Multiverse travel is impossible… well, unless if the Secret Strikers found a way to do it, that is?"

Jet shared a snarky glance with his teammates. "Multiverse travel? Did we say that? I'm afraid I can't confirm nor deny we've said something like that."

Speedy snarled. " _Stop stalling!_ You and the Secret Strikers have been stealing supplies from various Eggman bases, and now you're stealing a Warp Ring from this museum! That means the resistance is up to something! Tell what the Secret Strikers are planning _now!_ "

The three birds shared a smirk.

"Okay," Jet scoffed. "If you insist… We'll tell you what the Secret Strikers are up to _now!_ "

Jet and Wave charged forward, but the came to a halt. Storm wasn't moving at all.

"I said, we'll tell you what the Secret Strikers are up to _now!_ "

The albatross continued to sit there.

Jet and Wave were getting annoyed.

"Storm, that's our cue, you idiot!" Wave snarled.

"Oh, sorry!" Storm shook his head.

The Babylon Rogues jumped onto their air boards and hovered over their opponents. The wing-suited birds lunged towards the albatross, but they were quickly thwarted by four jobs and two uppercuts. Wave smacked incoming minions with her wrench and Jet tackled Speedy off his feet. The two of them rolled across the concrete before Jet slammed Speedy against the wall. Whipping out his Bashosen, Jet held it against the prince's throat.

"Back off, Armada!" he screeched. Every minion stopped once they saw their prince in danger. "Or else someone's gonna get hurt."

"Like you?" said a dark voice from behind. Jet turned around, but before he saw who spoke, he was grabbed by his tail feathers, spun around like a wind turbine, and was slammed onto the ground. One final kick sent him crashing into a glass full of minerals.

"Jet!" Wave and Storm cried, as they rushed forward and helped their leader.

As soon as they got him on his feet, they glanced over and saw Battle Lord Kukku XV stomping towards him. Adjusting his vibrant colored suit, he sneered at his former minions before he grabbed the Warp Ring off the ground. Holding it in his hands, he softly chuckled. "If the three of you touch my son that way again, there will be _dire_ consequences."

Storm, Wave, and Jet gulped.

* * *

"Clay, watch out!" Sonic shouted, as he pushed the rabbit to the side and took a heavy blow from Shadow's energy blast. Once the hedgehog crashed against the wall, a pile of bricks feel beside him and one of them fell on his back. Sonic whined in anger and pain, as Clay raced over and helped him up. "Thanks, Clay."

"No problem. The Mighty Clay's always there to help friends in need. But in all seriousness, how can we defeat Shadow? He's unstoppable!"

"I've beaten Shadow multiple times in the past, but this replica's pretty good. Lucky for us, I've got a plan in mind."

"Really? What would that be?"

"You and I are gonna double boost into him."

"Okay, but how we get him to hold still? He'll just teleport again."

"Not unless we distract him. Clay, if there's anything you should know about being a Freedom Fighter, it's that distracting your enemies if a useful skill."

"Does that mean I can monologue like the hero I am?"

"No."

Clay frowned.

"It means we gotta outsmart them, confuse them, make them think of something else. Follow my lead!" Sonic raced forward and watched Shadow fend off Knuckles and Lil' Blue. "Hey, Faker! Yeah, that's right! I called you Faker! You're so edgy, you make Infinite look like a teddy bear!"

Shadow snarled and shot waves of energy at the hedgehog, who dodged them all.

"Actually, I take that back! Infinite makes _you_ look like a teddy bear! Yeah, you thought you were so dark and edgy, but Mr. Jackal came along and took your spot!"

Shadow growled again and sped forward. Rolling into a ball, he spin dashed into the wall because Sonic jumped over him.

"You thought using guns would make you cooler, but nope! No matter what you do, Infinite will always come to dethrone you! Have you heard that song that plays whenever he's around? Man, it's so _edgy!_ "

Shadow clenched his fists and threw punches at Sonic, who was fast enough to evade them.

Clay snapped his fingers, realizing that the meaning of Sonic's distraction was. "Hey, Shadow! You're so… so… come on, Clay, this should be easy for you… ah-ha! I got it! Shadow, you're so fat that you sat on a Mobium and a booger came out of King Acorn's nose!"

"Oh, shots fired!" Sonic cackled.

Shadow glared at the rabbit before he boosted for him at full rage.

Clay twirled his hammer and smacked Shadow's face. "You're so ugly that you put on a line of male makeup called _why bother?_ "

"Oh!" Sonic laughed.

Shadow swatted at Clay, who slid beneath him. "You're so fat that you… you… um… you… hold on, I'm stealing all of these jokes from a famous comedian. I'm trying to figure out what joke he made next."

Shadow suddenly grabbed the rabbit by both of his ears. Clay dropped his weapon and he started to sweat.

"S-Sonic!? This guy's gonna hurt me!"

"Hang on, Clay!" Sonic called back. He, Lil' Blue, and Knuckles ran towards the fake Shadow before…

"Chaos Control!" _**(2)**_

Time suddenly froze and the fake Shadow was suddenly frozen. Then, a flash of green light emerged from behind him; a white figure was seen in the midst of the glow. The figure freed Clay and shot the replica upward. Then, he teleported and slammed his fists against his stomach. Pseudo-Shadow crashed against the ground and bounced a few feet upward because of the impact. Then, the white figured finished things off when he kicked the clone straight through the wall.

Cubes of the Phantom Ruby rose before the clone evaporated in thin air.

The white figure was soon revealed as the black-furred G.U.N. agent everyone knew well…

…The _real_ Shadow the Hedgehog. _**(2s)**_

Clay shivered and looked up at the hedgehog, who offered his hand.

"Are you hurt?" he inquired.

Clay nervously took Shadow's hand. "Um, nope! Not at all! Nothing hurts The Mighty Clay."

"That's not what you said two seconds ago."

"Well, that's because I-"

"Shadow, you're back?" Knuckles inquired. "Prove to me you're the real deal."

Shadow folded his arms. "When you and Rouge fought on Space Colony Ark, you rescued her when she tripped and nearly fell to her doom. Although, she tells me you did it because you were in love with her."

Knuckles heavily blushed and his eyes were on fire. " _GRR! I'M NOT IN LOVE WITH THAT BATGIRL! I DON'T CARE WHAT SHE TELLS YOU PEOPLE!_ "

"Good to have you back, Faker," Sonic smiled. "And thanks for ditching us back there. But I'm forgiving you because the Secret Strikers and I were able to get a lot done."

"I didn't ditch you," Shadow shook his head. "Team Dark and I went to fight G.U.N. We had some trouble at first thanks to Eggman's army and the Battle Bird Armada. But luckily, we were able to get to Central City and locate them… well, what's left of them anyway. Most of the troops have gone missing since Eggman's attack, but we were able to find the best in the business. Speaking of which, they should be arriving in three… two… and…"

With a soft smile, the black hedgehog pointed upward which made the heroes turn to the right.

From where they were standing, a series of G.U.N. airships, assault drones, and a massive transportation carrier known as the _Letter of Gabriel_. All four heroes looked like ants from where the battleships were standing. But they squinted their eyes to see two familiar figures jump out the back of one of the airships.

"Is that?" Sonic smiled.

Shadow folded his arms, mirroring his motion. "Yes… yes, it is."

* * *

Gemerl and Espio continued their brawl with Metal Sonic until they heard a loud popping sound come from above. The Deadly Six and the resistance stopped their quarrel because of the noise. Each of them looked up and saw a G.U.N. airship flying to where they were. But next to the ship was a figure ready for action.

Once the anonymous character landed on the ground, a puff of smoke surrounded him. It didn't take long for his identity to be revealed as…

…E-123 Omega.

On his shoulders were packs of missiles ready to be launched.

"Hey! I know this guy!" Zomom called, holding Charmy by his neck. "Hey, Mr. Robot, can you bake me some more cookies?"

"OH? IT IS COOKIES YOU WANT?" Omega sneered. "I'VE GOT YOUR COOKIES RIGHT THERE."

In an instant, the destructive robot proved to the Secret Strikers he wasn't the same as he was a few days prior.

Today marked the return of the _true_ superweapon in the United Federation's arsenal. With missiles flying and lasers beaming, Omega caused the Illusionary Legion to fall back. Burning off tiny pieces of Zeena's hair. Burning Zomom's rear. Smacking Zavok across his jaw.

Omega showed that his real self was here to stay.

"Fall back, fall back!" Master Zik called. "Even this old fool isn't stupid enough to take on _that_ thing!?"

"Nonsense!" Zavok snarled, as he tried to control the robot with his powers. "I shall control this drone with my-"

"LIKE MY ASSET, GEMERL, I AM PROGRAMMED TO NOT BE MIND-CONTROLLED!" Omega flew towards Zavok and shot him with a dozen missiles and taser blasters. "YIPPIE-KAI-YAY! PASTEL COLORED MONSTERS! SHOW ME WHAT POWER YOU HAVE! HUH? ARE YOU GOING TO SHOW ME YOUR POWER!? I DARE YOU; I TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU!"

"I'm not falling for this silly dare!" Zazz panicked. "Run for it!"

"Cowards!" Zavok howled. He glared at the resistance before he took off running. "This isn't over, Secret Strikers! I shall be back!"

* * *

As the battle turned out in favor of the resistance, the Babylon Rogues were still under the Battle Lord's capture.

Speedy looked out of the window and saw the G.U.N. soldiers evacuating the civilians from the city. He gasped and closed the curtains.

"Father," his voice shook with fear. "We've got bad news. The Guardian Units of the Nation are here. They're helping the Secret Strikers clear out Dr. Eggman's army."

"We're not leaving yet," Battle Lord Kukku chuckled. "Not until I snap the Babylon Rogues like wishbones."

Jet snarled. Wave cupped her hand over her beak. And Storm felt sweat rain down his head.

"I offered you a place in my flock, Jet, and you just throw it away like it was nothing," the Battle Lord shook his head, tightening his grip on the Warp Ring. "Wave and Storm made a stupid decision joining you. I'll never understood why you abandoned the family. We're birds, Rogues, birds are the only ones meant to dominate the skies. We should stick together like a family, something Bean the Dynamite didn't understand as well… why? Why would you leave me like this?"

"Because you kept going on tangents like this," Jet scoffed. "Plus, all you did was talk about world domination and advanced technology, which isn't my forte. I'm more focused on getting what I want, and what _I_ want is that Warp Ring! So, hand it over, you old buzzard!"

" _Hmph!_ " Battle Lord Kukku huffed. "You're still just as disrespectful as you used to be. You never understood my true intentions, Jet."

"Neither did we," Wave snarled, pointing to herself and Storm. "Jet gave us a sense of freedom, something you never gave to _us!_ You just sent us on boring missions and never let us reach our true potential! When Jet befriended Storm and I, he gave us a new sense of purpose!"

"Please, Wave, you and Storm served _no_ purpose even _before_ you resigned from the Armada."

"Hey, don't talk to them like that!" Jet demanded.

"Oh, what's wrong, Jet? Did I upset you?" The Battle Lord grinned. "I certainly did when I stole back my items six months ago. Yeah, that battleship you live was built by Dr. Fukurokov, remember? I recall you storming up to my front door not too long ago and there I wondered, why didn't you come back sooner? It was because back then, you lost your touch. You fell deep into a depression. All you did was sleep, eat, and do nothing all day!"

"How do you know that anyway!?" Jet asked.

"One of the residents of Deerwood Forest was a spy for my army. I hired him to keep an eye on the Woodland Kingsmen, but he reported that he saw you and the Rogues coming there, asking for Bow's aid. Bow and his Freedom Fighters took you in, gave you food and shelter, and gave you nothing in return! All it took was the encouragement of that infernal hedgehog and his twin-tailed pet to bring you back on your feet. It's embarrassing!"

The hawk had nothing to say. He allowed his frown to speak for him.

"Nothing to say? Hmph, I'm shocked," Battle Lord Kukku continued grinning, twirling the Warp Ring between his fingers. "Face it, Jet, you and the Rogues are _nothing_ without the Battle Bird Armada. If you come back to me peacefully, we can pretend this never happened and I can give you whatever you want… unless of course, you want to be a talentless thief like your father once was, then be my guest."

The green hawk's nerves have been pinched enough. His veins popped within his eyes and his teeth gritted with anger. Wave and Storm knew that Jet was going to do something reckless.

"So, Legendary Wind Master… what's your decision?"

 _ **CRASH!**_

"What the!?" Speedy gasped.

Rouge the Bat crashed through the ceiling and landed on the Warp Ring's former standee. She cracked her fingers and smiled at the Battle Birds.

All of the minions fell for her seductive appearance and whistled at her. The bat smirked at all of them before she thrashed her full fury upon them. Picking them up and slamming them down, Rouge twirled her entire body and drilled her feet into Speedy's chest. She bounced off the walls, extended her wings, and pounced onto the other Battle Birds, knocking them instantly.

"Back off, bat!" Battle Lord Kukku clenched his fist, shooting blasts of energy from a ring. "Only birds shall rule the skies!"

With Rouge stalling the Battle Lord, Jet tripped the ruler off his feet and Wave slammed her foot against his chest. Storm grabbed the Warp Ring and spat on the bird's face.

"That's what you get for bullying, Jet!" the albatross said.

"Father!?" Speedy howled fearfully, as he boosted to his former allies. "You're going to pay for that, you-"

Jet grabbed Speedy by the throat and glared into the future lord's soul. "At least my family sticks together through thick and thin no matter what happens I know for a fact, kid, your dad's made more enemies within his own ranks. If _I_ were you or your old man, then I'd suggest you'd watch your back."

Speedy's eyes began to tear up. "P-please… d-don't hurt me… I just wanted to be like you. That's all I want. You're someone I look up to… I don't want to be like my father, I want to be like _you!_... P-please, Jet, I'm begging you, let me be part of the team."

Jet closed his eyes before he tossed Speedy aside. "Sorry, kid. You've got your destiny… and I've got _mine_."

Instead of fighting back, Speedy laid on the ground, sobbing quietly.

"What brings a G.U.N. spy like yourself here, Rogue?" Wave inquired.

"Well, if I were here normally, I'd peek at the many jewels in this establishment," Rouge replied. "But since the world's gone bonkers, I'm here to save you guys apparently. Why are you three here?"

"Haven't you heard," Jet smirked. "The Babylon Rogues are proud members of the Secret Strikers."

"Yeah!" Storm clapped. "We're stealing stuff for their multiverse portal."

"Multiverse portal?" Rouge raised an eyebrow. "Knuckles and Sonic will have to explain later. Right now, I gotta report back to base. Care to join me?"

"As long we you don't arrest us, we'll go," Jet quipped.

"I cannot confirm nor deny we'll arrest you," Rouge snickered.

The spy and the Rogues fled the museum, leaving Speedy to release his emotions.

* * *

Soon, the Secret Strikers met by the hub of Freedom Heights. The _Letter of Gabriel_ stood in front of them with its back door opened. There, G.U.N. agents escorted civilians inside and cared for the wounded soldiers that fought bravely. Team Chaotix talked among themselves. Silver and Blaze gave water to a family of three humans.

Tails, Amy, Cream, Gemerl, and Big spoke with the ship's leader: Amanda Tower, the sister to the actual commander: Abraham Tower.

Mini Miles, Rosy, and Chuckles were drinking Chao Cola and snacking on bags of pretzels.

The only ones who were just arriving were Sonic, Shadow, Clay, Knuckles, and Lil' Blue. Mini Miles and Rosy cheered and hugged their blue friend. Knuckles was confused by the appearance of Lil' Blue's friends before he was approached by Chuckles.

"What's up uh… Older Knuckles?"

"Hey there… Younger Knuckles?"

"I called him, Chuckles," Sonic whispered to the echidna. "Funny name, eh?"

Annoyed by the nickname, Chuckles punched Sonic's kneecap.

The hedgehog whined and collapsed onto the floor.

Knuckles shared a glance with Chuckles. "I like you already."

Both echidnas shared a fist-bump.

Tails approached his best friend and helped him on his feet. "Lil' Blue's friends helped us save a lot of people today. I'm glad you and the others found them."

"Likewise, little buddy," Sonic replied, wiping the dirt off his fur. "How are _you_ doing?"

The twin-tailed kitsune revealed that he had a black mark on his arm. The cobalt hedgehog lightly gasped before he gently look a closer look at the burn. "Dude, what happened to you?"

"An Egg Pawn threw a fireball at Cream and I pushed her out of the way. I didn't want her to get hurt. But I'm fine. A little burn's not going to stop me."

Cream and Gemerl, who overhead that comment, approached the fox.

"Thanks for saving me, Mr. Tails," the former greeted. "But I'm sorry to get your hurt like this."

"No worries, Cream," Tails winked. "Your safety matters more to me."

"Aww," Cream smiled, as she jumped up and kissed the fox's cheek. Gemerl nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Tails," he said. "I appreciate it."

Tails nervously chuckled, as his cheeks blushed. "Y-you're welcome, Gemerl."

Rouge and the Babylon Rogues arrived.

"We got the Warp Ring for you, Shorty," Wave handed the ring to Tails. "Looks like you've got everything you need for your multiverse portal."

"I'm not understanding that," Rouge rubbed her head. "What are you guys planning exactly?"

"It's a long story," Sonic replied. "You see-"

"Sonic the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna," Captain Amanda Tower chimed in. She was an average sized woman with peach skin, short, light-brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a G.U.N. uniform consisting of a navy, brown and white colored cap and a jacket. She offered her hand to both heroes. "It's an honor to meet you both in the flesh. Especially you, Sonic, I'm glad to see you back on your feet."

Shadow, Rouge, and Omega stood beside the three interlocutors.

"Likewise, Captain," Sonic saluted. "Thanks for helping us out. Although, we could've used you guys six months ago."

"We apologize for that," Amanda nodded humbly. "G.U.N. and I were investigating something else at the time. I assume Team Dark has informed you?"

"Informed us about what?" Knuckles inquired.

"We've discovered parts of Infinite's origin story," Shadow replied.

"So did we," Sonic smiled. "We've learned he was from the No Zone and that he's got some grudge against Zonic. He told us this when we went to the Arsenal Pyramid."

"Did he tell you everything?" Rouge asked.

"Everything?" Sonic and Knuckles said at the same time.

Team Dark exchanged a glance before they guided Sonic and Knuckles to the ship's back door.

"I think it's time we introduced you to some friends we made a while back," Shadow folded his arms. "You guys can bring them out now."

A pair of G.U.N. soldiers escorted a total of four prisoners to the two heroes. Once they revealed themselves, Sonic and Knuckles released a heavy gasp.

The four prisoners were…

…Tempest, Jay, Pierce, and Lance aka The Jackal Squad.

 _ **END OF CHAPTER 24**_

* * *

 _Whoa, whoa, whoa, what the heck is this!? The Jackal Squad is alive and well and they're not dead! Well, if you all remember one flashback Infinite had in an earlier chapter, you would remember that I spared the Jackal Squad instead of killing them like other rewrites did. Not that it was a bad idea to begin with, but I didn't want to do that. Plus, I can't see Shadow killing a bunch of canines. That's not what Maria would have wanted and it's not what Gerald Robotnik wanted either. Both of them would be disappointed in Shadow for doing that. Anyways, the Secret Strikers have what they need for the multiverse portal, but first... it's time they know the truth about their mysterious foe._

 _How will Infinite's story go down? Find out in a very special..._

 _"Chapter 25: Rise of Infinite"._

* * *

 ** _POST-A/N:_**

 _The backstory for the Babylon Rogues in this story is heavily based on their story in the Pre-Super Genesis Wave continuity of the Archie Sonic Comics. It's also alluded they have the same backstory in the Post-SGW comics as well. Honestly, I wish that was something we saw in the games, but since Battle Lord Kukku and the Battle Bird Armada came from Tails' Adventure aka a Classic Sonic game, I assume Iizuka (I probably butchered his name) doesn't want them being in a modern game much like Mighty, Ray, and the Hooligans. Which sucks in my opinion. That whole Modern world not tying in with the Classic stuff is confusing._

 _We haven't seen Team Dark in a while. Not since Chapter 16: Homecoming, I believe. It feels nice to have them back since I'm a big fan of their dynamic in Post-Super Genesis Wave Archie Sonic Comics. Ian Flynn (while he has been known for doing some stupid stuff like killing certain characters in the old comics) writes Shadow so well that it makes me wish he would work for the current Sonic staff. Some people may disagree, but hey, I think he would do a good job in my opinion. He's been writing for the comics since Archie Sonic Issue 162._

 _Infinite was supposed to make an appearance in this chapter, but I wanted to save him for something I have in the future._

 _Response to_ _TheLostEternity:_ _Honestly, writing that whole chapter (Triple Date) made me grin like an idiot. As I said, I don't ship Sonic and Amy, but I do like to see moments between them in the comics and Sonic Boom. When Sonic Forces came out, I honestly wanted more Mania Zone counterparts to come in and team up with their Modern counterparts. I think it would have been cool. Yep, Clay has access to a Phantom Ruby prototype and who knows how'll he use that thing. Speaking of Clay, what do you mean you're starting to like him now? He's mighty, how come you didn't like him before, lol! Jokes aside, I'm glad Clay, Skylar, Emma, and Buster are likable to you. It is funny how Zero's name fits in with the No Zone's naming system, isn't it? Studiopolis was a stage I hated during my first playthrough, but now I love it. Thank you for your comments once again, my friend! You rock!_

 _Response to_ _Guest:_ _No worries about how long it took for you to review. Your life comes first, my friend :). I'm glad you loved how the Secret Strikers stormed Dr. Eggman's base in in Chapter 22. We'll be seeing how Clay and Gadget know each other later on. Infinite's story will be revealed in the next chapter, so stay tuned for that! I'm glad you like my character interactions. If there's anything I've learned in film class, character and story are huge components that require a lot of focus. Thank you for the support once again and I'll see you soon!_

 _That's all I have to say, folks! Thank you all for reading! Don't forget to R &R! I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you all next time!_

 _~SD321 (SpiderDom321)_


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